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Hopatcong balances road paving schedule with New Jersey Natural Gas work; council approves grant application for Riverstyx streetscape
Summary
Council discussed phased paving tied to New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline work, vendor supply delays and DOT grant plans. Council authorized submission of an NJDOT Transportation Alternatives set-aside grant for the Riverstyx Streetscape Phase 2 connector.
Hopatcong officials told the council April 2 that road paving schedules were adjusted after vendor supply problems and because New Jersey Natural Gas’ multi-year distribution work requires coordination to avoid repaving before gas-line excavation is finished.
Administrator Shelby briefed the council on a diagnostic pavement report (a street condition grading spreadsheet) that prioritizes roads for repair. She said last year’s paving work was postponed for several reasons: (1) multiple roads were in the footprint of New Jersey Natural Gas construction; (2) a paving vendor lacked asphalt product availability late in the season, causing work to be delayed; and (3) the borough reprioritized roads so that areas already paved or scheduled by others would not be repaved twice.
“How do we coordinate with New Jersey Natural Gas so we’re not repaving half the roadway?” a council member asked. Staff said the borough now has the gas company’s phasing schedule and will factor that plan into this year’s paving phases (phase 1 and 2). The borough also said it intends to seek additional municipal-aid funding (DOT municipal aid) in July to help cover paving backlogs.
Separately, Council approved Resolution 2025-64 authorizing submission of an NJDOT Transportation Alternatives set-aside grant application for Riverstyx Streetscape Improvement Phase 2 (the middle segment connecting two previously completed end pieces). The motion was made, seconded and passed by roll call; staff said the grant would fund sidewalks, street lighting and pedestrian-bicycle safety upgrades connecting the existing streetscaped segments.
Why it matters: Coordination with major utility projects and vendor availability are limiting factors for the borough’s multi-year pavement plan. The DOT grant, if awarded, will help connect completed streetscape segments and improve pedestrian infrastructure in a central business corridor.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the gas-company phasing schedule into the paving plan, pursue the municipal-aid grant process in July, and continue to re-bid and schedule paving phases for this construction season.
