Downey Road Gets a Facelift

Ten-wheelers prepare to cart away the old road surface of Downey
Road which has since been completely stripped and resurfaced.
(Image/Dick Bergeron)

One of the results of budget tightening in Bridgewater since the financial and real estate debacles of 2007/2008 is that this Township, as well as other municipalities throughout New Jersey, has had to carefully watch expenses and the outflow of cash.

 
The poor condition of some of the roadways in this Township seems to have been an unintended casualty of the need to address fiscal austerity.
 
For example, Downey Road is a short, very busy little connector that runs from Route 202/206 near the Green Knoll Grille.  It links up with Woodlawn Avenue and Garretson Road, at the point where these two streets meet at the overpass that spans 202/206.


On November 18^th, as I drove onto Downey Road heading towards the Municipal Complex and Commons Way, I gratefully discovered that it was being stripped of about two to three inches of worn out road surface in preparation for a complete makeover.
 
Today, driving in the same direction, I found – much to my satisfaction – that the Taurus was moving along on a smooth, brand new surface.
 
We’ve come to expect a lot of services from Bridgewater Township, including keeping all of our roads in excellent condition.  Unfortunately, meeting all of those expectations in a timely way is not always possible, given the times in which we find ourselves.
 
Despite fiscal restraints, Bridgewater officials seem to be doing their best to keep up with the repair of Township thoroughfares.  
 
I’m glad that Downey Road has been fixed.  No more dodging the ragged patch jobs!