By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Work is under way on a new sidewalk on County Route 601 – also known as The Great Road – between Montgomery High School and the village of Blawenburg.
The new sidewalk is being built partly in response to the increased demand for a pedestrian walkway between Montgomery High School and the village of Blawenburg on County Route 518.
“The result will be a dramatic safety improvement for students and all other pedestrians,” Somerset County Freeholder Mark Caliguire said. Students walk on the side of County Route 601 to reach Blawenburg.
Also, Somerset County officials believe it may be used by pedestrians who are visiting Skillman Park, which opened in 2014, and SAVE, the animal shelter which moved to its present location on County Route 601 in 2015.
The sidewalk grew out of a road safety audit that was conducted along County Route 601 by the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, along with Somerset County and Montgomery Township officials and staff.
The road safety audit documented safety issues for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists who use County Route 601. The study noted that pedestrians are unsure which side of the road to use – the west side or the east side.
A decision was made to build the sidewalk on the east side of County Route 601 to avoid the utility poles and the Blawenburg cemetery on the west side of the road, Caliguire said.
Part of the path, between Montgomery High School and the bridge over Rock Brook, will be made of asphalt. It will be eight feet wide, along the Skillman Park frontage.
Once the sidewalk crosses the bridge over Rock Brook, pavers will be used so that it ties into the paver sidewalks in the village of Blawenburg, Caliguire said. It will narrow down to six feet in width as it enters the historic district.
Construction work began last month, and the project is expected to be finished in late November. Most of the $2.3 million tab will be picked up by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, under the County Aid portion of the agency’s local-aid program.
