Dec. 28. Construction of new turn lanes to improve the intersection of Bailey Road and Hwy. 115 begins in three weeks, on Monday, Jan. 18. It was originally slated to begin in early 2020.

Town officials said during the first three to four weeks of the project, there should be no impact on the flow of traffic. But sometime in February, residents can expect lane closures during non-peak hours, potentially impacting school drop-off and pickup.

The construction contractor will leave one lane open in each direction at all times. Traffic will be shifted to the center turn lane, which will accommodate left turns, right turns and straight movements.

The project is expected to be complete by early August 2021, prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year.

This project has been delayed for many years to allow the utility companies ample time to relocate their infrastructure. Once utility relocation was complete, the Town was forced to delay the bid for the project (from spring 2020 to July 15, 2020) due to COVID-19.

Given the location of this intersection, some impact on school is inevitable at Bailey Middle and Hough High schools. However, the Town has worked closely with NJR to schedule this project with as minimal lane closures as possible.

“The goal was to avoid beginning construction at the start of the school year when traffic is heavier, which has proven difficult due to an understandably changing CMS school schedule. If the current CMS schedule holds, school will be back on campus for at least a few weeks prior to lane closures. The project goal is to complete construction before the next school year begins,” according to a press release from the town.