Residents on five streets in the Knollwood neighborhood of Cherry Hill are about to have their lives disrupted for the next six months, all in the name of upgrading unseen but vital infrastructure.
New Jersey American Water announced on May 7 that it would replace approximately 5,000 feet of aging water main in the area, beginning the following week. It would be the last of five such projects undertaken around the township in the last calendar year.
The work is expected to last until sometime around Thanksgiving, and the company wants to upgrade the aging 6 and 8 inch cast-iron water lines with new 8 inch ductile iron main along the following streets:
Forge Lane from Glen Lane to Lafferty Drive
Lafferty Drive from Forge Lane to Bellows Lane
Pebble Lane from Bellows Lane to Orchid Lane
Meryl Lane from Bellows Lane to Wagon Lane
Bellows Lane from Meryl Lane to Orchid Lane
“We determined it would be best to be proactive and upgrade the water mains in this neighborhood now due to the age of the main, material, and surrounding soil conditions,” said Erin Banes, external affairs specialist for New Jersey American Water. “In addition, we are working with other utilities in the area to coordinate work and the final paving restorations.”
American Water is allotting $950,000 to that particular project, with the hope of advancing water-service reliability and increasing the rate of flow for household consumption and fire protection in the community that stretches between Cooper Landing Road, Chapel Avenue and Kings Highway.
The ongoing work is part of the water company’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. By the completion of the Knollwood work, American Water will have allotted more than $4 million to infrastructure upgrades for that purpose.
“Our water supply network represents an incredibly vital piece of our township’s infrastructure,” said Mayor Susan Shin Angulo in a statement issued on May 10.
“We’re happy to see New Jersey American Water continue to invest in its footprint in Cherry Hill with the replacement of these aging water mains, which will help ensure our residents will continue to have reliable access to safe, clean drinking water for many years to come.”
The water company’s local qualified contractor, Pioneer Pipe Contractors Inc., was expected to commence work around May 10. Work hours, weather permitting, will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work outside those hours is not expected unless required to maintain the project’s schedule.
Final street restorations are expected to be completed in the spring of 2022.
For the safety of the public and workers, 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 project also includes replacing four fire hydrants and 92 utility service lines along the pipeline route.
For more information on the water main upgrades, contact NJAM’s Customer Service Center for questions and updates at: 1-800-272-1325.
