Powerline Construction to Impact North Jersey Trail Areas this Fall

Although legal challenges to the route of PSE&G's Susquehanna-Roseland power transmission line continue in court, the company announced in mid-October an intitial construction schedule and work is under way.

Park & Trail Alerts

Our area Trails Co-Chair Estelle Anderson reports (October 19) that work is underway to widen and clear the powerline corridor at the following locations.  Hikers are urged to limit their hikes in powerline construction areas to Sundays only, when work is not underway.  The risk of encountering moving equipment and falling or downed wires or other obstacles is reduced.  This is only while construction work is underway. 

• Rockaway River WMA, Berkshire Valley Road, Jefferson, NJ
• Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, Jefferson, NJ
• Highlands Trail - section in Jefferson Twsp near Weldon Quarry is closed.
• Farny State Park -- Four Birds Trail southern end of Split Rock Reservoir
• Wildcat Ridge WMA /Farny SP -- Split Rock Loop south of Split Rock Road
• Pyramid Mountain - 100 Steps trail, Butler-Montville(blue) is closed. 

Construction Schedule

The following is construction schedule information on a town-by-town basis as published by PSE&G. The Trail Conference is in the process of determining more precisely what hikers can expect to encounter or plan for on trails in the affected areas. We also will be monitoring the required mitigation of impacts. We will post advisories on this page.

The following work is scheduled from October 15, 2012 through November 3, 2012.

NOTE: Construction schedule information is tentative and subject to change based on several factors, including weather and field conditions.

Andover Township

• Road crews clearing and grading access roads on the right-of-way near Limecrest Road and Kilroy Road.  When road work is completed foundation drilling will start in the right-of-way in both these areas.  Foundation work continues at the right-of-way off Perona Road.  In addition, foundation work will also start in the right-of-way off Goodale Road and Andover- Sparta Road.  Crews will be seen at Andover-Sparta Road, Kilroy Road and Perona Road installing guard structures at  the side of the road in the right-of-way.   In Andover there will be work at every structure along the right-of-way surveying, unclipping & removing wire, and deconstructing of old structures off of Perona Road and Kilroy Road.

Boonton Township

• Site prep and clearance pole work being done in the Powerville Road, Boonton Ave. and Kincaid Road areas.  Kincaid Road will also have survey and road crews in the area grading and clearing access roads.  Environmental prep will also be done in the right-of-way off Boonton Ave. and Miller Road.  In addition, wire demo work will be done on the towers in the right-of-way off Boonton Avenue.  There will be work at every structure along the right- of-way, unclipping and removing wire.

Byram

• Roads crews will be grading and clearing at various locations along the right-of-way, including Bridget Way, Stonehedge Lane, Stanhope Sparta Road, East Shore Trail,  Glenside Trail, Tomahawk Trail, Meadowbrook Terrace and West Shore Trail.  Also, foundation work will begin in the right-of-way off Sparta-Stanhope Road, East Shore Trail,  West Shore Trail, Glenside Trail, Stonehedge Lane and Bridget Way.  There will be work at every structure along the right-of-way, including surveying and unclipping & removing wire.  Crews will be seen at West Shore Trail, Meadowbrook Terrace, Rt. 613, Marine Terrace, Birch Pkwy., Glenside Trail, Stonehedge Lane, Bridget Way, Stanhope Sparta Road, Mountain View Terrace and Tomahawk Trail,  installing  guard structures at  the side of the road in the right- of-way.  In addition, there will be engineered blasting taking place in the right-of-way area off Bridget Way and West Shore Trail.

East Hanover

• No activity scheduled at this time.

Fredon

• No activity scheduled at this time.

Hardwick

• No activity scheduled at this time.

Hopatcong

• No construction - Survey crews may be seen on right-of-way.

Jefferson

• Survey work and site preparation will be done on the right-of-way in the following areas: Rt. 15, Sachem Road, Winona Trail, Croft Road, Berkshire Valley Road and Woodport Road. Clearing and grading of access roads on the right-of-way in the Weldon Road area, in addition to some foundation work near Weldon Road, Berkshire Valley Road, Sachem Road and Croft Road.  Crews will be seen at Woodport Road, Croft Road, Winona Trail, Rt. 15, Weldon Road, Berkshire Valley Road and Grey Road installing  guard structures at the side of the road in the right-of-way.  There will be work at every structure along the right-of-way including surveying, unclipping & removing wire and deconstruction of old structures off Weldon Road.

Kinnelon

• Road prep and clearing will be done on the right-of-way in the Powerville Road/Kinnelon Road area.  Crews will be seen at Kinnelon Road installing  guard structures at the side of the road in the right-of-way.  There will be work at every structure along the right-of-way, unclipping and removing wire.  Environmental prep will also be done in the right-of-way off Hillcrest Road and Split Rock Road.

Montville

• Clearing and grading of access roads on the right-of-way off Changebridge Road, Ward Witty Dr., Boonton Ave., Abbot Road, Old Lane and Main Road, Miller Road and High Mountain Drive.  In addition, foundation work will begin in the right-of-way off Changebridge Road and Schneider Lane.  Clearance pole prep work will be done in the right-of-way off Stoneybrook Road, Ward Witty Dr., Old Lane, Abbot Road, and Main Road.  Wire removal work will also take place on towers off Boonton Ave, Stoneybrook Road, Waughaw Road., Old Lane, Abbot Lane and Main Road.  Crews will be seen at Boonton Ave, Stoneybrook Road, Ward Witty Dr. and Old Lane installing guard structures at the side of the road in the right-of-way.  Foundation work will be occurring at structures in the right-of- way near Old Lane and Abbot Road.  There will be work at every structure along the right-of-way, unclipping and removing wire and deconstruction of old structures off of Old Lane, Ward Witty Dr. and Stoneybrook Road.

Pre-blast survey work will continue in areas off Stoneybrook Road, Ward Witty Road and Old Lane.  Representatives will be contacting nearby landowners to do a brief home inspection prior to any precision controlled rock excavation.  These streets include Ward Witty Dr., Old Lane, Waughaw Road, Stoneybrook Road, Jean Dr., Bonnieview Lane,  Buck Run Ct., West Serafin Way, Stafford Pl. and Oakwood Court.

Newton

• No activity scheduled at this time.

Parsippany

• No activity scheduled at this time.

Picatinny

• No construction 

Rockaway

• Clearing and grading of access roads on the right-of-way in the Split Rock Road, Green Pond Road and Upper Hibernia Road, Charlottesburg Road and High Mountain Road areas.  When access road work is finished, foundation drilling will then start in the in those same areas.  Crews will be seen at Lake Denmark Road, Charlottesburg Road, Green Pond Road, Upper Hibernia Road and Split Rock Road installing guard structures at the side of the road in the right-of-way.  Foundation work will start in the right-of-way off Split Rock Road.  There will be work at every structure along the right-of-way, unclipping and removing wire.

Roseland

• All activity is taking place inside the switching station fence line on PSE&G property

Sparta

• Surveying, clearing, prep and road crews will be working in the area off New Star Ridge and Larikat Lane.  There will be work at every structure along the right-of-way, unclipping and removing wire.

Stillwater

·        No activity scheduled at this time.