New Water Main To Be Installed, Aging Sections To Be Replaced In Somerville

SOMERVILLE, NJ — New Jersey American Water(NJAW) will begin undertaking a $6.2 million project this week that includes installing 3,200 feet of new 30-inch water transmission main and replacing 2,200 feet of aging 10- and 12-inch in Somerville.

Vollers Excavating, Inc. will begin construction this week and expects to complete work by the end of July.

Work will take place along Veterans’ Memorial Drive West from South Davenport Street to Somerset Street, Mountain Avenue from Somerset Street to West Cliff Street/Altamont Place, and Somerset Street from Route 206 to Mountain Avenue.

"This is a proactive replacement project to help strengthen and reinforce the system and help mitigate potential breaks," according to NJAW.

This transmission main will serve a large portion of the company’s Central operating region.

It will also support a neighboring transmission main(which serves customers in Bridgewater, Raritan Borough and Somerville). This line had two breaks in June 2023 and on Oct. 30, 2024.

The break in June 2023 resulted in customers having no water for multiple days and a boil water advisory. The break this past October caused water loss for customers for the day and a boil water advisory.

During the repair process, an inspection confirmed several portions of the main needed to be replaced before the comprehensive rehabilitation of the main could take place.

Those replacements were completed in December 2024, and the upcoming portion of the project, starting next week, will address the full rehabilitation and reinforcement of the transmission
main.

"This $6.2 million investment is part of our continued commitment to upgrading critical water infrastructure and improving service reliability for our customers," said Carmen Tierno, senior director of Operations for New Jersey American Water’s Central Operating Region. "Once completed, these improvements will provide reinforcement and resiliency to this system which serves over 50 municipalities this region."

Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Some night work on county roads is expected to maintain the project schedule. Final street restorations are expected to take place in the fall of 2025.

At this time, Veterans’ Memorial Drive West, Mountian Avenue, and Somerset Street are expected to remain open, but for the public’s and workers’ safety, traffic restrictions and/or alternating traffic patterns are likely to occur during work hours.

All emergency vehicles and local traffic will be allowed access during construction.

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