Carteret, NJ – Mayor Daniel J. Reiman and Councilwoman Iris Colon, Chair of Public Works, have announced that $310,000 has been earmarked for local road improvements. The funds will be provided through the N.J. Department of Transportation’s Municipal Aid program.
Hermann Avenue has been selected for improvements according to need, and will receive structural upgrades as well as new ADA curb cuts at intersections. The repairs and upgrades will cover over ¼ mile of Hermann Avenue, from Washington Avenue to Clifford Street. In addition to being in a densely populated residential area, Hermann Avenue runs adjacent to Carteret High School and its sports complex. According to Mayor Reiman, this portion of the street has been subjected to considerable wear and tear, and upgrades have been long overdue for its pedestrian and handicapped amenities.
Hermann Avenue is one of many local roads to receive upgrades in the last few years. Damaged streets that are also some of the town’s most traveled roadways have been target areas in a selection process that has accounted for over $2 million in improvements since 2007 alone. Earlier this year, Mayor Reiman announced that $910,000 in county funding would be applied to the resurfacing of Carteret Avenue, Sharot St., Willow Street, and Charlotte St..
As a part of the administration’s ongoing Road Improvement Program, various street improvement projects have gone beyond routine maintenance. The scope of this and recent years’ upgrades have represented the largest road improvement project undertaken in Carteret. Many of the Borough’s streets have been resurfaced through an inter-local paving program with Middlesex County, in which the Middlesex County Public Works Dept. has milled, repaired and resurfaced the top 2-inches of roadway, at a fraction of the cost a private contractor would have charged. These projects are expected to add roughly ten years to their lifespan.
Mayor Reiman said, “This program represents the single largest paving project ever established in Carteret; and has tapped into the combined resources of every level of government to allow for an enormous capital infrastructure project, with the level of efficiency found in the private sector.The wear and tear of our roads has risen in proportion to the kind of growth we have seen in our commercial districts. We are grateful to those at the county and state level who have enabled us to make these necessary repairs and upgrades.”
This portion of Hermann Avenue’s repairs will include reconstruction of the roadway, replacement of existing curbs with new concrete curbs and gutters, replacement of deteriorated sidewalks, upgrades for all handicap ramps, and inlet repairs.
The total estimated construction cost for this portion of the project is $ 488,375.00.
“Both residents and businesses depend on our infrastructure,” Councilwoman Colon added. “While we have impressive projects like the overhauling of Turnpike Interchange 12 underway, we know how important our residential streets are, and how much they are used. Hermann Avenue is a densely populated residential area, and also serves those who participate in and support Carteret High School athletics.”
