Final Work On Water Street Begins Today

Final repairs for in Tinton Falls have begun and the job should finally be completed by the end of the month.

The materials have been ordered and delivered and a contractor is currently working at the site according to Tinton Falls Borough Engineer David Marks.

Water Street was severely damaged by Hurricane Irene and the roadway has been closed since August. Flooding and heavy erosion by the nearby Pine Brook made the road unsafe for pedestrian and automobile traffic.

The contractor began installing the lower helical piles (soil screws) on Wednesday morning. According to an announcment on the borough web site, once the helical piles are installed the aluminum sheeting for the retaining wall can be driven.

The contractor, Compass Construction, encountered dense clay, which restricted the depth of the aluminum sheets needed to reinforce the bank. This caused the borough to modify its plan and use the soil screws in order to install the retaining wall.

Marks said the work should be completed in "another couple weeks" and that a more definitive completion time will be posted as soon as it is known.

He said once these repairs are completed, the last step is to repave the road. Once the road is repaved, it will be reopened for all traffic.

Councilman Steven Schertz said the public perception of the project is "very negative."

"However, it is my understanding that the contractor will be on the job daily," Schertz said.

Marks has said he and the contractor have not had discussions about extra costs for the borough for the project because of the changes and delays, and that he did not anticipate any at this time.