WHITE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Warren County) — Lommason Glen Road (County Route 626) reopened Tuesday after extensive repairs to rebuild a half-mile section of roadway destroyed by flooding during a July 2023 storm, Warren County officials announced.
The reconstruction project not only restored the damaged section but also incorporated improvements designed to strengthen the road’s resiliency and help prevent similar destruction during future storms affecting the tributary of Buckhorn Creek that runs alongside and beneath the roadway.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved with these reconstruction efforts. This project was a lot to take on and I’m excited for the road to be open,” Commissioner Director Jason J. Sarnoski said. “This was a long process with many moving parts and our county staff, the engineers, and the contractors have all worked together to ensure that this massive reconstruction project delivered a safer and stronger roadway for the residents of Warren County.”
Commissioner Lori Ciesla said the repairs required exceptional precision. “Battling the water flow from a river and not just repaving a road but rebuilding the side of a hill took a special attention to detail and I’d like to thank everyone who played a role in this project,” she said.
“We thank the residents for their patience,” Warren County Public Works Director Emily A. Hammer said. “All residents with property fronting on Lommason Glen were considered in the implementation of the work, and inquiries from the community were addressed throughout the project as it progressed.”
After the 2023 storm, emergency repairs included closing a breach south of Hemlock Lane at Bridge Structure 23073 and building a retaining wall to direct water flow more efficiently through the bridge. Crews also stabilized the downstream bank, extended an upstream retaining wall to protect the roadway from undermining, and filled a 20-foot-deep shoulder collapse that had cut nearly halfway into one travel lane. Fallen trees that could pose future hazards were removed from the creek.
Hammer noted that the project required a substantial regulatory approval process with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “All work was performed with sensitivity to threatened and endangered species in the area, with a herpetologist visiting daily to ensure turtles did not enter the work zone. We also adhered to seasonal time restrictions for work in the stream, to protect native brook trout,” she said.
The stream has since been repositioned to its natural course, and pools have begun returning, restoring habitat for local wildlife. “We thank NJDEP for their cooperation throughout the project,” Hammer added.
Safety upgrades along the rebuilt roadway include more than 1,200 linear feet of guiderails, crash cushions, increased signage and new traffic markings. Resiliency measures include a gentler slope to stream banks to limit storm erosion, more than 1,000 feet of vegetated soil stabilization material, multiple new cross drains and a consistent 20-foot-wide stream channel.
Crews also installed 1,200 linear feet of retaining wall supported by foundations ranging from 2 to 5 feet deep, along with approximately 1,200 linear feet of rip-rap-filled gabion baskets. Native streambed material was reused to maintain the natural appearance of the area.
The project team included Hammer and Jason Abelman of the Warren County Department of Public Works, Colliers Engineering and Design, and Sparwick Contracting Inc.
