TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Mayor Peter Calamari told the Township Council on June 9 that the long-awaited Pascack Road–Washington Avenue intersection improvement project will likely be included as part of Bergen County’s 2021 road enhancement program.
Calamari provided the news as part of his brief council update, noting that Boswell Engineering of South Hackensack, the town engineer on the project, received a letter from Bergen County stating that the county would be funding the intersection in its 2021 budget.
Calamari said that on March 26 Boswell received final comments from the county planning and engineering department on its construction plans and specs for the improved intersection. He said Boswell submitted its final intersection plans to the county May 27, including all required revisions.
Also on May 27, Calamari said the township received project certification from the county soil conservation district. He said Boswell had provided easement maps, and that new PSEG utility lines and poll relocations along Pascack Road were ongoing and new poles were anticipated to start this month along Washington Avenue
Outreach to Boswell Engineering for comment was not returned by press time.
Councilman Michael DeSena, challenging for the gavel this year, asked if Calamari could share the county letter stating the intersection project would be begun this year. Calamari said Boswell received the letter and he would request a copy from them.
Nancy Dargis, division head at Bergen County Planning and Engineering, told Pascack Press June 10 that the county needs to have copies of all signed easements and final construction plans in hand from the township before the county would schedule the construction of improvements at the often-congested intersection.
She said when work might begin is “all contingent upon [construction] plans being ready.”
The county previously required township officials to acquire all 13 property easements needed before it could begin the extensive improvement project, which was planned under a Shared Services Agreement that officials signed in mid-2019.
The SSA’s authorization was delayed until December 2019 due to a second engineer’s review and document edits.
A final condition was added to the SSA that requires the township to pay for any new traffic signals needed at the under-construction emergency services building.
Due to the pandemic, and the easements needed, along with changes required by the county, the project had been stalled since approval of the SSA in late 2019.
The township has not said all easements are in hand.