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Vol. LXV, No. 27
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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
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Vol. LXV, No. 27
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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
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While traffic woes have eased on heavily traveled Alexander Road, drivers on Cherry Valley Road will be experiencing some delays during the next few weeks due to another construction project. As of Tuesday, July 5, one-lane alternating traffic is in place between Billie Ellis Lane and Route 206 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The $880,000 reconstruction project, which is being shared by Princeton and Montgomery townships, will widen the road to 34 feet, install curbing on both sides, and make much-needed drainage improvements. It will also fill in a missing link in the walkway system.
“Now, Griggs Farm and other points to the west will be accessible by bike or foot, either to the pathway across Route 206 on Princeton Avenue or the bike path along Mt. Lucas Road that would lead all the way into the Witherspoon area or into the Borough,” said Robert Kiser, Princeton Township Engineer. “This is something that has been planned for a while. The drainage ditches have been a problem for many years.”
The construction will shift to nighttime work hours of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Sunday, July 10, from Sundays through Thursdays until further notice. During this time, Cherry Valley Road will be completely closed to all traffic. The southbound traffic detour on Route 206 will be Route 518 to Great Road to Cherry Valley Road, while northbound Route 206 vehicles will be detoured on Cherry Hill Road to Cherry Valley Road.
Both Princeton and Montgomery townships received grants of $440,000 from the New Jersey Department of Transportation for the project, which is being carried out by Integrated Construction and Utilities of New Jersey. An additional $475,000 will be spent to improve and reconstruct curbing, drainage, and a sidewalk on Hillside Avenue.
The roadbed reconstruction on Alexander Road, which involved regrading around the “S” curve, has been successfully completed by Lucas Construction Group. But there is still work to be done. The road, paved and temporarily striped for public use, opened to two lanes of traffic on June 30. The sidewalk is open to the public.
The remaining construction schedule will involve final paving, to occur over several nights this month into early August. Dates are to be announced after the work begins. The delay is provided in order to allow for any final settlement of the reconstructed road bed and utility trenches.
As the all-night work is done, the road will be closed to traffic once more, with a full detour put into effect. There will be intermittent shoulder work closures and/or alternating lane closures as necessary. These will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. They should be expected to occur any weekday, with no prior notices posted. Designated bike lanes will be completed, with signage installed, after final paving is done.