Somerset County will implement the efficient and low-cost “slurry seal” road improvement process again in the summer of 2024, saving taxpayers money and reducing the impact on local drivers in the process.
The Somerset County Board of Commissioners authorized funding of $850,000 to overlay six miles of roads throughout the county.
“Somerset County is responsible for ensuring that hundreds of miles of local and regional roads are safe and maintained, and that means making improvements to a portion of our roadways each year,” said Somerset County Commissioner Melonie Marano, liaison to Public Works. “We work hard to keep the costs and impact on traffic down as much as possible when performing road work. Over the past few years, the use of the ‘slurry seal’ process has accomplished both goals even beyond our expectations.”
The slurry seal process is used to extend the life of pavement by five years or more on roads that need maintenance but do not yet require full replacement. Eventually all roads require milling and paving, but the use of slurry seal reduces long-term expenses by cost-effectively expanding the time between milling and paving projects by five years or more. As a result, the county decreases the overall cost of maintaining its 260 miles of roadway while keeping or improving roadway conditions and automobile safety.
Additionally, the slurry seal process takes significantly less time than milling and paving, reducing the impact on local motorists as they travel for shopping, work, and recreation. The process does require temporary road closures, but such closures are scheduled overnight to reduce the impact on commutes and daytime travel.
The work began this week and all work in the contract will be completed in calendar year 2024. The specific roads included in the contract are:
- CR533 Millstone River Road in Hillsborough/Montgomery from Blackwells Mills Causeway to Dead Tree Run Road
- CR620 Burnt Mills Road, Township of Bedminster, from Country Club Road to Route 202/206
- CR620 Washington Valley Road, Township of Bedminster, from Route 202/206 to Mount Prospect Road
