The professional survey will outline a longterm plan for the borough’s annual NJ DOT grant.
Construction started along Constitution Boulevard and North Brill Avenue on Oct. 16, the two chosen projects for the 2017 Local Road Improvement Program. The program was made possible through a $187,000 grant awarded to the borough by the state Department of Transportation last June.
These specific roads, which will be completed by mid-November, were chosen based on infrastructure criteria standards made by the state, as Constitution is a corridor to Berlin Community Elementary, and North Brill suffered from significant drainage issues.
However, when Councilman Dan MacDonnell, chairman of streets and roads, came into office last November, he felt the borough should adopt a new process in determining which roads require renovation, leading to the outline of a five-year road plan.
“We need to look at it more long-term — where we’re going, what streets we’re going to be doing,” MacDonnell said.
This sparked the recent authorization of a professional road study for every municipal street. By receiving expert consultation, Berlin can more efficiently use the annual NJ DOT grant.
The borough is hiring engineers from Environmental Resolutions, Inc. to rate the roads on a one to five scale. A one rating means the road needs immediate attention, while a five means the road is in pristine condition. This does not encompass county-owned streets.
The borough is funding the survey, which will cost $11,750, according to MacDonnell.
Work is underway now in determining when the engineers will start the process for the 2018 Local Road Improvement Program. By the time Berlin receives the grant in June, it will know which roads are the ideal candidates.
“Everyone thinks that their road is the worst road,” MacDonnell said. “I agree that there are some bad roads, but this will just give us a professionally developed plan on how to move forward.”
Aside from gaining a clearer vision for improvements, the borough also hopes to receive twice as much funding in 2018, as Berlin applied for $400,000 in October, according to MacDonnell. NJ DOT’s grants could increase in response to the state’s 23-cent gas tax increase, which went into effect last year.
