Grant To Cover Most Of Walkway Replacement At Township Complex

Middletown Township has awarded a contract for curb ramp and sidewalk improvements at the municipal complex.

The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors approved the $282,860 contract this month with NJS Concrete LLC, of Lower Southampton Township.

The project is being funded through a $225,000 federal Community Development Block Grant, with the remaining cost covered by township funds. The township-funded portion came in below the amount budgeted, according to officials.

Township Engineer Isaac Kessler told the supervisors that the work will address areas of settled concrete and potential trip hazards while also adding sidewalk connections that have been sought around the municipal complex.

“There’s a lot of settled areas that are a concern for trip hazards, as well as just a few connections that have always been desired to connect the sidewalk in the front of the building with the sidewalk that is going around to the shopping plaza, as well as the flagpole,” Kessler said.

The project covers exterior areas of the municipal complex on Municipal Way.

Existing sidewalk along the front of the building will be replaced with stamped or decorative concrete, according to Kessler.

Two additional sidewalk connections are included as contract alternates. One would connect the sidewalk to a pedestrian area along the side of the building. The other would expand the area outside the police department entrance, which is currently narrow beneath the existing overhang.

“What this will do is kind of square that off and give it a little bit more of a comfortable space under that overhang for folks that are coming in and out of that entrance there,” Kessler said.

The project was publicly bid and received two bids.

Kessler said the lowest bid was disqualified after the township engineer’s office, solicitor’s office and staff determined it did not meet several requirements included in the bid documents.

NJS Concrete has completed previous projects for the township.

Supervisor Dana Kane asked whether the township would have warranty protections against future settling, adding that the existing pavers have experienced the issue.

Kessler said the project specifications were designed to address that exact concern.

“Pavers are usually susceptible to that more than a solid concrete,” he said. “The specifications for this project look into addressing that. We anticipated it should last a long time.”

A resident also asked about cracked curbing near the handicap parking spaces at the front of the building.

“We can definitely take a look at that,” Kessler said. “If it’s a possibility to address it, we’ll try to do it.”

Due to the township complex being a public facility, scheduling of the work and access will be coordinated before construction begins.

Kessler said the township will hold a pre-construction meeting with NJS Concrete to discuss the work and timing.

In addition, Kessler said coordinating the work to be sure the building remains accessible on election day in November would be a priority.

The township is targeting completion this fall before winter weather arrives.