Residents of four borough thoroughfares may breathe a bit easier over the next several months, as work is about to begin on stormwater system remediation for an area hit hard by the summer storms of 2019.
Doug Johnson, from borough engineer Remington & Vernick, provided an update on the process during the board of commissioners’ Aug. 16 session.
“One of the highlights (of the plan), for the residents on Heritage Road, Lafayette (Avenue), Jefferson (Avenue) and Upland (Way), we will start some stormwater improvements there,” he revealed.
Work on the streets was expected to commence on the Tuesday after Labor Day, following a period in late August when the contractor performed some mark-outs and other investigative work to check for possible conflicts with underground utilities.
The project would include the removal and replacement of some storm-sewer infrastructure to accommodate more frequent and intense storms, beyond an existing design requirement to withstand a “25 year storm.”
Two summers ago, Haddonfield had to endure multiple rainstorms whose quick, heavy downpours and resulting flooding were beyond what the existing system could handle. Weather experts called the first of those storms, on June 20, 2019, a “500 year event” that caused severe damage to several homes in town.
The remediation area sits just to the west of the PATCO tracks in the borough’s southern portion, with Upland Way — the southernmost road on the list — crossing with Concord Drive, the thoroughfare that experienced the most extreme flash flooding.
Several weeks after the 2019 storm event, resident Mike Amons of Lafayette Avenue told commissioners of his shock at the 15 feet of brown water that inundated his basement during the worst of the rainfall, causing thousands of dollars in damage and the loss of many personal items with sentimental value.
The end date on remediation efforts is estimated to be some time shortly after the turn of the new year. Work will be undertaken by RTW Construction of Southampton, whose submitted bid of just over $1.1 million was accepted in May.
