260 Roads Improved As Bridgewater's 4th Year Of Road Plan Closes Out

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — As the fourth of the five-year road improvement plan comes to a close, 59 more roads were improved in 2024 in Bridgewater Township.

Director of Municipal Services Tom Genova and Township Engineer Bill Burr provided an update on the 5-year plan at the Thursday night Council meeting.

"Of the approximate 600 Township roads, 260 have been reconstructed or repaved since 2020. This represents approximately 44 percent of the Township roads that have been repaved in the last five calendar years," said Genova. "This is an exceptional accomplishment that the administration and the engineering division are extremely proud of. "

"When this concept of the five-year road program was first born it was a monumental task in my mind on how to craft and execute a plan that was so huge, frankly. I can't help but pinch myself now four years later looking at 260 some roads having been improved... which to me is just amazing," said William Burr.

Burr added that this feat is "a significant, significant investment and progress and frankly, without this body’s commitment to improving its infrastructure we wouldn’t be here."

This is part of the Township's $40 million 5-year road improvement plan that was launched at the end of 2020. The township launched the plan to spend $8 million each year over the next 5 years to remedy the roadways. The target was to improve half of the township's 600 roadways or 250 to 300 roads by the end of the plan.

Here is a list of the completed roads for 2024:

• Acorn Drive
• Lilac Court
• Jamestown Road
• Yorktown Road
• Berwick Drive
• Roanoke Road
• Andover Avenue
• North Avenue
• Morris Street
• Moorhouse Court
• Ethel Court
• Erin Court
• Brandywine Lane
• Hill Lane
• Rolling Hills Road
• Vicki Drive
• Candlewick Lane
• Juniper Lane (Candlewick side)
• Love Road
• Talamini Road (287 - 202/206)
• Stella Dr. (202/206 - Starview)
• Barbara Drive
• Star View Way
• Catalpa Drive
• Lakeview Drive
• Long Road
• Kathleen Place
• Claire Dr (Stella to Arthur)
• Copper Hill Arthur Road
• Somerset Avenue
• Lawton Road
• Lawton Place
• Birch Hill Drive
• Bittersweet Terrace
• Mountain Top Rd - Crim to Rose
• Brian Drive Foothill Rd - N Bridge to Steele Gap
• Highland Avenue
• Leeham Avenue
• Ash Street
• Bridgewater Senior Ctr
• Crest Drive
• Glen Road
• Saratoga Avenue
• Shady Lane
• Deerhead Drive
• Cathy Court
• Hayward Street
• Betsy Ross Place
• Kristen Court

Additionally, the Township undertook a Sidewalk Maintenance Program on roads including Glen Ridge Drive South, Golf Links Drive, Jandel Court, Vanderveer Road, Shaffer Road, O’Keefe Road, Bertman Drive, Colmart Way, Freeman Lane, Sally Court, Terrace Lane, and Cross Road.

Burr added that the Township also received $3.2 million in grant funding for 2024 to help cover all or a portion of construction costs.

"Through this investment, we will be in a much better position," said Councilman Michael Kirsh.

Councilman Filipe Pedroso thanked Mayor Matthew Moench and Kirsh for promising better roads as part of their election campaign.

"Kudos to Mayor Moench. Four years ago he campaigned and one of his campaign promises was 'I'm going to fix your roads' and he kept that promise," said Pedroso. "That’s something he’s been very diligent on and working very hard to do and year after year he makes it a priority to fix our roads."

PSE&G Update and 2025 Plans

Burr said there is still about a week's worth of service left on Meadow Road and Church Road and have about a month of work on Country Club Road in the Van Holten Road area.

"We could see that project extend through the end of January into the New Year but they are getting close," said Burr.

In 2025 all roads PSE&G worked on will be replaced just as the Township did on roads near Vosseller Avenue.

"We are getting close. They are making progress but it's slow going. I would anticipate in the early part of the new year that portion of the gas main project will be complete and certainly in 2025 you will see those roadways will be resurfaced," said Burr.

Once the five-year road plan is completed Genova said the Township will put an emphasis on routine pavement management.

"This will bring the Township into a standard maintenance cycle rather than a concerted effort to repair extensive damage due to previous systematic neglect," said Genova.

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