ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County will replace culverts in Berkeley Heights, Roselle and Springfield this year, projects totaling $1.33 million. Work on all three is expected to being this summer.
Culverts allow water to flow under a road, and differ from bridges only because they are smaller.
“People don’t often notice culverts, but they are essential to keep traffic flowing efficiently,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “County inspectors check out every bridge and culvert to ensure their safety and recommend replacement when needed.”
In Berkeley Heights, the county will replace a culvert at the intersection of Valley Road and Glenside Avenue where the Green Brook runs under the roadway and connects to the Blue Brook a short distance downstream.
It was built in 1933 and on average, handles over 6,300 cars a day. It is four feet wide, and a 42 foot section of roadway will be removed for the project.
PM Construction of Hillside, NJ was chosen as the contractor on the project. It is projected to cost $436,107. Construction should begin this summer.
In Roselle, a culvert at the intersection of First Avenue and Locust Street in Roselle will also be replaced. That intersection handles over 16,730 cars a day. It was built in 1920.
The West Brook, a tributary of Morses Creek, runs under the roadway, and much of that waterway runs underground in that section of Roselle. The culvert is ten feet wide and a 50 feet section of roadway will be removed for the project.
PM Construction of Hillside, NJ was also chosen as the contractor on the project. It is projected to cost $377,828. Construction should begin this summer.
In Springfield, a culvert on Hillside Avenue, near Ann Place, will also be replaced.
Built in 1926, the culvert is 12 feet long and stands roughly 5 feet high from the streambed. About 40 feet of the roadway will be removed and replaced for the project. Since wildlife uses this river, a natural streambed will be recreated through the inside of the culvert. A tributary of the Rahway River runs under the roadway there.
Colonnelli Brothers of Hackensack, NJ was chosen as the contractor on the project. It is projected to cost $516,265. Construction should begin this summer.
With a land area of just over 100 square miles, Union County has more than 172 miles of county-owned and maintained roads and more than 470 bridges and culverts.
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