Burlington County going out to bid for repaving on 16 miles of County roads

MOUNT HOLLY – Burlington County is preparing to begin resurfacing work on just over 16 miles of three county highways in Woodland, Bass River and Washington Township.

The Board of Chosen Freeholders voted this month to solicit bids for resurfacing 13.2 miles of Route 563, also known as Chatsworth-New Gretna Road, in Woodland and Washington Township, along with 0.9 miles of North Maple Avenue and 2.1 miles of East Greenbush Road in Bass River.

The work is projected to cost around $3.3 million and is being funded with state transportation aid the county receives.

Earlier this month the County accepted $10.1 million in transportation aid from the State of New Jersey to use for resurfacing work. A tentative plan calls for the county to repave just over 51 miles in the coming year.

“Maintaining our roads and other infrastructure is one of the most important services our county government performs, and with over 500 miles of county roads here, every dollar we get from the state is critical for that purpose,” said Freeholder Dan O’Connell. “The proposed work on these highways is long overdue and we’re pleased to have the funding available to tackle it.”

“Repaving work is important because of all the wear and tear our roads receive. Without proper maintenance, potholes and other problems will certainty develop, including drainage problems. It’s more than just a nuisance, it can result in vehicle damage and accidents, and will eventually require a more significant and expensive fix,” said O’Connell, who is the board’s liaison to the county Department of Public Works, Roads and Bridges.

Last year the County planned to undertake repaving work totaling just under 50 miles in 20 towns. Among the resurfacing work already completed is 12.5 miles of County Route 542, also known as Batsto-Bridgeport Road and Hammonton Road, in Washington and Bass River.

The County also successfully repaved closed to 4 miles of County Route 563 (Chatsworth-New Gretna Road) between Route 72 and County Route 532. The larger 13.2-mile section the County intends to repave now is located just south of Jones Mills Road.