'Priority' Roads Eyed by Twp. for 2013 Paving
Cost of asphalt could hinder project completion, engineer says.
Jefferson’s Department of Public Works is looking to resurface a number of streets, including Schoolhouse Road and Chamberlain Road, during 2013.
Assistant municipal engineer Ed Haack, during the council’s budget meeting Wednesday, explained that this year’s priorities are roads that the department wanted to but was not able to resurface last year and those that have been on the backburner for awhile.
Councilman Jay Dunham explained that Chamberlain Road has been “put on the backburner more than once.”
“It’s an arterial road,” Business Administrator James Leach said. “It gets a lot of complaints.”
Schoolhouse Road will be mostly paid for using a $235,000 grant.
The hurdle, Haack explained, is that the other holdover streets, which he deemed “priority one,” are estimated to cost $664,553, while the DPW only has $500,000 in the budget for road resurfacing. Leach said that, $30,000 of that cost will be offset by the water department’s budget, which will pay for resurfacing on certain roads, including Lorretacong Drive, Arrowhead Trail and Bright Point Road.
The engineer acknowledged the high cost of the projects, partially attributing it to the price of asphalt, which he said has “gone through the roof.” Council Vice President Michael Sanchelli said it is likely the price of asphalt could increase even more.
“We could end up doing even less roads because we’d run out of money,” Sanchelli said. “It’s a crapshoot.”
Council members agreed that they would like to find a way to get all of the “priority one” streets resurfaced this year, and Leach said the township could possibly “bite the bullet” this year.
“If we don’t do these, they’re just going to get that much worse, and we’re going to get behind the eight ball,” Sanchelli said.
Councilman Robert Birmingham agreed, explaining that the “priority two” street resurfacing projects Haack also presented are currently estimated at $360,000 and could potentially increase in 2014.
“Let’s hope the economy gets good enough in the next six to eight months,” Sanchelli said.
