Water Mains Dating Back to 1930s Being Replaced on Bridge Avenue in Two-Month Project

Bridge Avenue, Bay Head, N.J., Feb. 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

New Jersey American Water Company will begin a project this week that will replace water mains on a busy local roadway that date back to the 1930s.

The company, which provides water to numerous towns on Ocean County’s northern barrier island, including Brick Township, will focus its 3,000-foot main replacement on Bridge Avenue in Bay Head. The company will upgrade the aging 6-inch water lines that were installed as far back as the 1930s with new 12-inch ductile iron main along portions of Bridge Avenue from Bay Avenue to Route 35.

The project also includes replacing fire hydrants and utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route. Additionally, New Jersey American Water will replace any customer-owned service line that has been identified as lead or galvanized as part of a statewide initiative to remove all lead and galvanized service lines by 2031.

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The $800,000 project “will continue to advance water service reliability and increase water flows for household consumption and fire protection in this community,” the company said in a statement. “This improvement is part of New Jersey American Water’s multimillion-dollar initiative to accelerate the renewal of water infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life in more than 100 communities across the state.”

New Jersey American Water’s local contractor, Montana Construction, Inc., began work this week and expects to be completed within approximately two months. Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work outside of these hours is not expected unless required to maintain project schedule. Final street restorations will be completed in spring 2024.

Project timelines are subject to change due to a variety of factors including weather and availability of supplies. The company said it will provide updates on its Facebook page.

For the public’s and workers’ safety, traffic restrictions and-or alternating traffic patterns are likely to occur during work hours. All emergency vehicles and local traffic will be allowed access during construction. The company, however, urged motorists and pedestrians to exercise caution during the work period.