The township received a sizeable grant from the state last week for some much needed roadway repairs. Gov. Chris Christie’s administration announced more than $4.9 million in local aid funding to various towns throughout the state.
Evesham Township officially received $200,000 in aid for roadway improvements to Tomlinson Mill Road.
Interim Township Manager Bill Cromie said the grant will be used to resurface Tomlinson Mill Road. We’ve been filling potholes in that for several years now, he said, and it could use a resurfacing. The township did apply for the grant but didn’t know the dollar amount it would receive if accepted, he said.
The total estimate for the 1.25-mile project is about $345,000, he said.
According to the state, competition is always heavy for grants under the New Jersey Department of Transportation Local Aid program, with 374 of 661 fiscal year 2012 Municipal Aid grant applications, or 57 percent, earning an award.
“The Christie Administration strongly supports funding for Local Aid because it understands how important it is for government at all levels to provide safe streets and roads for motorists and pedestrians alike,” NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson said. “These grants advance local projects without placing a burden on local property taxpayers.”
Including the municipal aid grant awards that were announced, the Christie administration will also award approximately $193.5 million in state-funded grants this year under several different local aid grant categories. An additional $101.2 million in federally funded grants will bring the total value of the local aid grant program to $294.7 million.
At several recent township meetings, Mayor Randy Brown has lamented over the state of several Marlton roads and the state of disrepair that has befallen them. For several years prior to his stint on the township council, Brown said leaders of the community neglected to budget money for many aspects of the township’s infrastructure.
It’s important moving forward, he said, to invest in the infrastructure and to repair the roadways of several neighborhoods.
While some of the roads in disrepair throughout the community could be micro surfaced — which is a less expensive option that consists of a treating road surfaces with a mixture of dense-graded aggregate, asphalt emulsion, water and mineral fillers — many will still need the full-blown road resurfacing to completely repair them, Brown said.
Brush Hollow and Cambridge Park were easily the two communities in the biggest need for road repairs, Brown said, with Woodstream coming in a close third to the two “winners.”
Currently, the township is completing work on both Braddock Mill Road and Charter Oak Lane. Township council members recently approved a resolution to award a contract for the resurfacing of Lincoln Drive (phase II) to Arawak Paving Co. for an amount not to exceed $323,800.
