Overnight Construction Begins On Allen Road

Somerset County's road department was expected on Wednesday night to launch a complete repaving of Allen Road in The Hills that will be conducted in the overnight hours from Nov. 13 through a target date of Nov. 22, said Rich Lazicky, who is in charge of the construction division for the Somerset County engineering department.

During that time, the road should remain open to traffic, allowing people to get to their homes in The Hills area of both Bernards and Bedminster, Lazicky said on Wednesday. But he added that police may detour drivers around the block at some points in construction.

To avoid disrupting school vehicles and commuters, the county decided earlier this year that the best time to do the road work is at night — all night, until it is completed from the Somerville Road intersection in Bernards Township down to the bottom where the road meets the entrance to Route 287 north in Bedminster.

No detours planned at this time

"Motorists can expect to experience altered traffic patterns on Allen Road between Somerville Road in Bernards Township and Schley Mountain Road in Bedminster Township," said Bernards Township Police Lt. Ed Reese.

He said on Wednesday that no detours are planned at this time. Local police will be on site to control traffic and assist motorists, Reese added.

The milling — or removal of the top layer of about 2 inches of old paving — is due to begin Wednesday night nearest the Somerville Road intersection, Lazicky said.

On Friday night, the paving will begin in that area, and proceed to pave other areas that have been milled in advance.

The project will cost about a million dollars. In some areas, where the road is most deteriorated, the surface will be milled down by about six inches and stabilized before new pavement is laid down, Lazicky said.

In July, the Benards Township Committee approved a requested waiver from the municipal noise ordinance to allow the repaving to take place between the hours of 8 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.

Shortly afterward, Lazicky said that the repaving project has been extended into Bedminster, to the bottom of the hill at the Route 287 north on ramp.

Generally, county road workers remove old pavement and mill the road and then repave that section before moving on to the next. However, the county will not wait to mill all of Allen Road before paving.

"Most folks will only be disturbed for one night," Township Engineer Tom Timko said last summer.