Lengthy Closure Set For East Valley Brook Road

From March 15 to on or about May 2, East Valley Brook Road will be closed to thru traffic for repairs being implemented to the bridge that spans Tanners Brook.

The project, being completed by Konkus Corporation of Branchburg, is set to replace the existing bridge entirely.

The construction is taking place during the school year because it was already postponed once, according to Transportation Director Paul Henry.

“We asked if it could be pushed until the summer,” Henry said, “but it’s a DEP issue. [Konkus Corporation’s] permit for the project is going to expire soon, so they need to start right away.”

The road will be closed on the west side at the intersection of Old Farmers Road, and on the east side at Rt. 513. Local residents will need to use those entry points only to access their residences, while thru traffic will be diverted to Parker Road, Fairmount Road and Rt. 513, according to Sgt. Doug Compton of the Washington Township Police Department.

School children that live on East Valley Brook Road will be transported to and from school in vans, operated by the township’s in-house drivers.

“There are three (bus) runs that are affected,” said Henry. “The students that attend Old Farmers Road School, Long Valley Middle School, and West Morris Central will be transported on school vans. When the vans reach the point of the bridge, they’ll have to turn around and exit the way they came in.”

Vans entering on the west side of the road will turn around in residential driveways large enough to accommodate them, Henry said, and vans entering from the east side will turn around at Jayne Valley Farm.

“Having the project take place during the school year results in an extra cost for us,” said Henry. “There’s an extra cost for the vans and the drivers who will be doing the runs. But it needs to be done.”

The new bus runs will begin on Monday, March 14, but the road will not be closed until Tuesday, March 15.