EAST BRUNSWICK – The Township Council has introduced a $4.39 million bond ordinance that will, if adopted, provide funding for road improvements in East Brunswick.
Mayor Brad Cohen said there are 180 miles of roads the township is responsible for repairing and maintaining, at a cost of $400,000 per mile.
“We have been putting aside $2 million a year to do roads, which at best gets us 5 miles of road. So, five into 180 makes me dead by the time we finish all 180 miles of roads, so the goal is to try to set aside funds so we can make a bigger dent in some of the roads that in the past have really just been neglected,” Cohen said.
“We may still not get everything that we need to have done … but we can’t continue to move at the pace we are going. By the time we get to some of these roads, the ones that we would have done would need to get repaired again,” the mayor said.
The council introduced the bond ordinance on Oct. 14. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28. Council members may adopt the ordinance following the public hearing.
The total amount needed to finance the road improvements is $4.6 million, which includes a $530,000 grant that is expected to be received from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, according to the council. Officials will make a $203,500 down payment toward the total appropriation.
The improvements will include repaving various roads and the resurfacing of Old Stage Road.
During a discussion, Councilman Kevin McEvoy expressed concern about the possible impact of the bond ordinance on the township’s finances.
Business Administrator Joseph Criscuolo said East Brunswick needs to have a comprehensive road program rolled out to keep up with road repairs, improvements and maintenance.
“This is the most that any council has put out in many years. I share your (McEvoy’s) concern, but the roads need to be worked on, they need to be taken care of, it’s a vital part of (the township’s) infrastructure,” Criscuolo said. “These problems are not going to go away and even at $2 million you are only talking about paving 5 to 6 miles of road, divide that into 180 miles, it doesn’t go far.”
Criscuolo said if officials can get the paving work out to bid in December it would cost less. Thus, officials are planning to do two construction bids and trying to get it out early enough in order to get the best price.
“That has been the best strategy of Mayor Cohen’s administration, to get these (bids) out, get a locked-in provider, and let’s hit the ground running with road paving [in] early spring on roads that are not near schools, and then once school lets out we continue and do the remaining roads in that manner,” Criscuolo said.
For more information, visit www.eastbrunswick.org/content/885/101/default.aspx or call 732-390-6850.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
