Improvements are coming to the torture track otherwise known as Mount Pleasant Road.
The lower portion of the road, from Route 94 to Hemlock Road will be resurfaced beginning in late August, said Knowlton Mayor Adele Starrs.
“The work includes repairing and replacing drains, replacing guide rail and striping,” Starrs said.
Drainage work was completed by the township Department of Public Works earlier this year. The bulk of the work will be funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) of $136,700. The township is funding the rest of the cost with $85,000 of township funds, which were approved last year.
The contract for the resurfacing was awarded through the Morris County Cooperative Pricing Council to South State Inc., in an amount not to exceed $198,000.
The Morris County Cooperative Pricing Council, of which Knowlton is a member, was established in 1974 by four Morris County municipalities—Randolph, Dover, Denville and Roxbury. Currently managed by the Township of Randolph, membership has expanded to more than 200 government entities throughout the state.
At its June meeting, the Township Committee approved a grant application to the State DOT for improvement to the remainder of Mount Pleasant Road—about 1.3 miles between Hemlock Road and the cul-de-sac at the end. The application includes resetting on existing drainage inlets and the replacement of existing guide rail to meet current standards. It would also include striping for the road.
“If we get the grant, the project will be slated for next summer,” Starrs said.
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of the Ridge View Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridge View Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
