Road Repair Redux

A bond ordinance approved Tuesday provides for $5.6 million for road improvements, a new chapter in the city's long saga of road repair.

A five-year plan launched in 2005 fell behind to the point where officials eventually stopped referring to plan years and talked instead about "phases."

As the work fell behind, the city spent nearly $1 million to re-prioritize the original schedule of repairs.

Tuesday's ordinance gets the ball rolling again. This excerpt lists the intended locations:

SECTION 3. The improvements hereby authorized and purposes for the financing of which said bonds or notes are to be issued are for, as applicable, the milling, paving, surfacing, and resurfacing of, and the construction of curbs and sidewalks for, the entire lengths or portions of various streets located in the City, including, but not limited to: Central Avenue from Wadsworth to Seventh Street, Stelle Avenue from Plainfield Avenue to Hobert Avenue, Hillside Avenue from Randolph Road to Berckman Street, and West Third Street from Clinton Avenue to Prescott Place; and milling and paving, as applicable, of the entire lengths or portions of various streets located in the City, including, but not limited to: Pemberton Avenue from Parkside Road to Grant Avenue, Pineview Terrace from East Front Street to East Third Street, Berkeley Terrace from East Third Street to the border of Watchung, Raymond Boulevard from Front Street to the border of Watchung, Field Avenue from West Fifth Street to the border of South Plainfield, Ironbound Avenue from Aletta Street to Sheridan Avenue, South End Parkway from Park Avenue to Woodland Avenue, and Norwood Avenue from East Front Street to the border of North Plainfield, and shall also include the following, as applicable, surveying, construction planning, engineering and design work, preparation of plans and specifications, . 13permits, bid documents, construction inspection and contract administration, environmental testing and remediation and also all work, materials, equipment, labor and appurtenances as necessary therefor or incidental thereto.

The ordinance passed on first reading Tuesday and will be up for final passage on Feb. 13.
--Bernice