Shade Tree Commission works with Somerset County to protect trees in Middlebush Village

Somerset County plans on beginning construction in early spring of 2008 on the Reconstruction of Amwell Road, from Cedar Grove Lane to Demott Lane, including the realignment of South Middlebush Road, Franklin Township.  The roadway improvements will include adding additional turning lanes to the intersection of Amwell Road and Cedar Grove Lane, constructing new storm sewers, curb, and hard shoulders through out the project, adding left turn lanes on Amwell Road at Demott Lane, and eliminating the one-way system in Middlebush, at South Middlebush Road and Thompson Parkway, with a new alignment of South Middlebush Road to the east with a new traffic signal at Amwell Road.  Construction work is expected to be on-going to the summer of 2009.  Plans call for the maintaining of one lane of traffic in each direction through the project work zone. Approximately thirty mature trees must be removed for this project that will alter the current streetscape. The Franklin Township Shade Tree Commission and Somerset County have worked closely to design a landscape plan to replace trees removed for construction on a one-for one basis. The county and commission will continue to work together to insure that the final streetscape closely matches the semi-rural village ambience characteristic of the Middlebush area. The much-needed traffic improvements in this area together with a sound replanting plan will ultimately benefit all residents that travel through this busy intersection.