$8M Road Improvement Ordinance Introduced In Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater is one step closer to getting started on its fourth year of the township's $40 million road improvement plan.

An introduction of a bond ordinance to appropriate $8 million for the 2024 Road Plan was approved at the Feb. 15 meeting by the Township Council except for Councilman Filipe Pedroso.

"This is the fourth year of a five-year commitment that this council made as part of the Mayor's commitment to dramatically improve what had been a poor overall condition of our roads," said Councilman Michael Kirsh.

Since the road plan was implemented in 2020, the Township has repaved 200 roads, which are equal to 30 percent of all Bridgewater roads.

The roads listed in this ordinance include:

• Acron Drive
• Jamestown Road
• Berwick Road
• North Avenue
• Candlewick Lane
• Love Road
• Star View Way
• Lakeview Drive
• Somerset Avenue
• Birch Hill Drive
• Perrine Road

Pedroso continued to express his concerns about passing the $8 million bond before the completion of the 2024 Township budget.

"I am not a big fan of approving an $8 million bond before we know the state of the township's financial condition and we don't have a budget," said Pedroso.

Pedroso added that he is in favor of the road plan just not approving it before the township budget is finalized.

"While I do support the road plan, and I support in principle the idea that we should fix our roads, I don't think that it's proper to blindly approve something," said Pedroso.

Kirsh noted that while the Township is committing a substantial amount of money and future monies to the project, he felt it was "a wise investment, a necessary investment."

"The net result is we are investing on behalf of this community. We are overcoming what has been many, many years of neglect, insufficient investment and we are hopefully now ahead of this wave and at a point now where in the future we will be looking at more cheaper standard maintenance and not the thorough rebuilding of what we have been subject to in the past," said Kirsh.

A public hearing and second and final reading of the ordinance is scheduled for the March 7 Township Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 100 Commons Way.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.