May 2, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 7 Mahwah Ridge Road repaving scheduled for summer by Frank J. McMahon Mahwah’s Ridge Road will be repaved during this summer’s school recess. Kevin Boswell of Boswell McClave Engineering recently advised the Mahwah Council that the township received a $146,500 local aid grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation for the resurfacing of Ridge Road from West Ramapo Avenue to Erskine Court. The balance of the $350,000 cost of the project will be paid under the township’s recently adopted capital improvement ordinance. That ordinance includes $1,028,000 for the improvement of various roads in the township, most of which will be paid by negotiable bonds. Ridge Road extends from West Ramapo Avenue beyond Erskine Court to Darlington Avenue and provides vehicular access to the public library and several schools. Those schools include the Lenape Meadows Elementary School, which serves students in kindergarten through grade three; Joyce Kilmer Elementary School, which houses grades four and five; the Ramapo Ridge Middle School, which includes grades six through eight; and Mahwah High School. Asked about the timing of the project, Mahwah Township Administrator Brian Campion said this type of work is normally done in the summer when the schools are out of session. In addition, the township council must first adopt the bond ordinance and authorize the design of the project and send it out for bids. Boswell explained that the improvement will be done in July or August because more competitive bids can be obtained for work done at that time. He also explained that the NJDOT requires a full size set of plans and a preconstruction meeting before the work can begin. During the township council’s budget hearings in February, the number and length of the roads to be improved this year became an issue with Harry Williams, the vice president of the council. Williams wanted more roads to be included in the township’s road improvement plans this year. Mayor William Laforet advised at the time, however, that a major road repair project on West Airmount Road between Franklin Turnpike and Island Road would require a sizable portion of the money being allocated to this year’s road improvement program, and that cost is preventing more roads from being improved this year. Campion said the township has a very aggressive road improvement program each year, and has been spending between $750,000 and $1 million a year on road improvements. The township roads to be improved this year were chosen based on a rating system prepared by the township engineer in conjunction with the department of public works, which is based on the need to improve the roads and the money available for these projects. Besides the portion of Ridge Road previously described and the West Airmount Road project, the roads to be improved are: a portion of Armour Road, a portion of Bellgrove Drive, Lawrence Road, Moffat Road, the lower portion of Stag Hill Road, and part of Mahwah Road.