Bristol Township’s Milling & Paving Gets Under Way

Bristol Township launched  its milling and paving program Monday morning. The work continues its initiative of rebuilding  the infrastructure of the municipality.

Signs went up early in the morning informing motorists of the summer long work being done.

The work, which started on Old Rogers Road on Monday and ended first week on the often complained about Mill Creek Road, got underway as workers from JD Morrissey took  to the  pavement to lay new roadway throughout the township.

Councilman Craig Bowen and LevittownNow.com went out on Monday to watch as the first roads were milled and paved.

Bowen said  the work being done is a  key component of attracting new businesses to the area and is part of a larger plan to address an infrastructure that’s been falling apart for years but has been ignored.

“Residents for years were promised this kind of work would get done. Well we’re doing it,” he said.

Bristol Township Council approved the borrowing of $4 million dollars for the 2014 paving project, which  includes 24 miles of planned work approved by council in September.

Bowen, echoing statements of  township manager Bill McCauley made at recent council meetings, said, “we expect to continue the re-paving of the township roads over the next two years, as long as the funds are available.”

Approximately the same amount was borrowed for work that was completed in Croydon and Levittown sections of the township in 2013.

“If we want to attract new residents and businesses,”  Bowen said. “As we walked  on a road that hasn’t been  resurfaced  in about 30 years, this is work we have to do.”

One of the first things we (council) wanted to address when we came into office is improve the infrastructure of the township.

In October, council approved the new retrofitting of street lights which, according to officials. The move would save to save the township more than $1 million dollars over five years in maintenance costs and reduce energy costs.

The  lease purchase program is through Philips Lighting and supported by a grant from the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority.  Retrofitting  of  the Township’s 4259 streetlights with  new modern LED Technology and state of the art “Starsense” control system,” is also one of the projects taking place.

When asked how a cash starved municipality with $80 million in unfunded debt as it so often says can start and complete such projects Bowen said “we spend our money wisely, and cuts costs, as we’ve done and continue to do.”

“We’re far from done here,”  he said, “but we’re expanding the tax base with the business community now looking to Bristol as place to call home once again and if that continues residents benefit because we won’t have to raise taxes.”

The majority on council he said is pro-business but we also recognize and treat residents as customers. This is their money we’re spending and we need to spend and invest wisely, he said.

Bowen, who owns his own successful auto repair business since he was 18, said he applies the same ideas and principles in with his own business.

In a March of 2013, council meeting  McCauley said 88 of the 177 miles of roadways needed resurfacing, due to  years of neglect, adding that approximately 60 miles of roadways  hadn’ hadn’t  had  work performed on them since Bill Levitt did the original construction work in the 1950s.

That kind of approach doesn’t work, Bowen said.

“The old way of doing things, just doesn’t work.  The numbers and approach are the clear evidence of that,” Bowen has said in the past, as well as other Pro Team members of council.

When told there was going to be an eruption of comments once work started on Mill Creek Road, Bowen smiled and said, “we look forward to the input of residents.”

See below for the most recent milling and paving schedule for the township.

Click to access 2014-06-05-Updated-Milling-Paving-Schedule.pdf

Related

• Bristol Posts Plan for Road Projects
• Township Approves 6 Million in Financing for Projects
• Street Lights & Roads Play Big Role in  Infrastructure Reinvigoration  

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