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Northern Valley area, New Jersey — Two major public infrastructure improvement projects have closed roads in local communities early this summer season.
The Bergen County project to replace the Closter-Harrington Park bridge (also known as “Seven Pipes”) has prompted the total closure of the intersection of Knickerbocker Road, Livingston Street, Closter Road and Harrington Avenue.
Bergen County Public Information Officer Michael Pagan told Northern Valley Press the $2.2 million bridge replacement over the northeastern part of the Oradell Reservoir—being funded in large part by a state grant—will move forward when utility relocation that’s currently underway is completed. He shot down rumors that the project has been slowed due to wildlife concerns and said “the road is required to be re-opened on [Nov. 1].”
“There were a couple of days the utility companies did not show up,” Pagan said. “Upon completion of utility relocation, the contractor will begin the removal and replacement of the existing structure.”
Pagan said the general contractor is Persistent Construction. The project will remove the seven corrugate metal pipes, first installed 40 years ago, and replace them with three new concrete box culverts spanning 30 feet crossing the reservoir, parallel to the new roadway, county officials said. The project will also improve the roadways, replacing existing traffic configurations with two T-intersections, a redesign county planners say will improve visibility and motorist safety.
Meanwhile, a Rockland Electric Co. project to bury 3.2 miles of underground electrical transmission line through Old Tappan, Norwood and Closter is also underway.
Rockland Electric spokesman Mike Donovan told Northern Valley Press that crews worked on Michaels Lane in Closter and Broad Street in Norwood last week. Work on Michaels Lane is expected to continue into the beginning of July, he said.
Work to set manholes on Broadway in Norwood and Orangeburgh Road in Old Tappan will continue through July, said Donovan. Trenching work on Broadway is expected to begin soon, he said.
Rockland Electric Co. said its $28 million, two-year, electrical system improvement project will improve reliability and provide more power to customers in all the communities served by this publication. The work—expected to conclude in May 2020—will help protect electrical systems from storms, said Rockland Electric Co. It will also include upgrades to substations “to provide greater operational flexibility.”
“Rockland Electric is working closely with local government and police departments on this project and plans a collaborative effort to minimize construction disruption along the communities’ roadways. However, motorists traveling on the roadways along the project’s route should expect periodic delays,” the company said.
“The route will run from Harings Corner substation along Orangeburgh Road to Broadway to Broad Street to Blanch Avenue to West Street and end on Michaels Lane,” said Rockland Electric Co.
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–Staff report
Photo by Murray Bass