The hillside under River Road has been eroding for years. A fix is finally moving forward.

If you've driven River Road in Chatham Township and noticed the pavement looking a little rougher near the steep grade, relief could be on the way — the township just took its biggest step yet toward fixing it.

Chatham Township opened sealed bids Tuesday for a drainage overhaul on the steeply sloped stretch of River Road, where stormwater runoff has been chewing away at the hillside and threatening the road itself.

The centerpiece of the project is a riprap channel — a layer of large, loose stones — built with an 8-foot-wide bottom to armor the slope against erosion. Crews will also mill and repave the road surface and repair storm basins along the way, according to the township's official bid notice. Once a contractor is picked, the work has to be done within 90 days.

The township hasn't released a budget, but the math offers a clue: bidders had to post security equal to 10% of their bid, capped at $20,000. That means the project's total cost is at least $200,000 — though there's no cap on how high it could go.

State law gives the Township Committee 60 days from the bid opening to award the contract or reject all bids, putting the deadline at Sept. 5. The committee could act as soon as its next meeting Tuesday, July 14, or at any regular meeting before then.

Township Engineer John K. Ruschke of Mott MacDonald will oversee the project from design through construction. Workers on the job will be paid state-mandated prevailing wages under New Jersey law.

Contract documents are free to view online, or in person at the Municipal Building, 58 Meyersville Road, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Questions can go to the township's engineering department at the same address.