WESTWOOD, N.J.—It started with a bang and ended with a borough-wide mobilization to bring the lights back—and keep them on.
On the morning of Monday, July 14, PSE&G utility crews descended on Westwood Avenue, hauling in gear and workers for what Mayor Ray Arroyo called a major repair to the underground infrastructure that failed during a transformer explosion two weeks earlier.
“Think of Westwood Avenue as the bottom of a U,” Arroyo explained. “The wire’s being pulled through from point to point on the open ends. They’re trying to eliminate a splice under an open-air grate—one that’s vulnerable to corrosion from road salt and the elements.”
The July 3 explosion had triggered an underground fire, plunging Westwood’s Central Business District, or CBD, into darkness and knocking out traffic lights, NJ Transit signals, train gates, and street lamps just on the cusp of the July Fourth holiday. Power remained down for hours, with emergency crews scrambling to secure intersections and prevent chaos.
On the 14th, crews returned to replace the transformer on Fairview Avenue and install new wiring beneath Westwood, Fairview, and Center avenues. A separate crew was dispatched just to clean maintenance holes so linemen could safely access the underground work zones.
“Between Public Service mechanics and the cleaning crews, there’s a ton of equipment on site—commensurate with the amount of work to be done,” Arroyo said. “The utility is staffing it as a one-day project to avoid further disruption to residents, business owners, and visitors.” As well, the county’s road crew was completing final line striping on Kinderkamack Road. Police directed traffic around both projects.
The push to fix the system capped a dramatic series of events that began on the night of Wednesday, July 3, with what Arroyo later riffed on as “a scene recalling an apocalyptic moment” in Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)”
“I’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway / I saw the [CBD] laid low…”
The explosion and subsequent underground fire set off a swift response. Officers deployed traffic cones, Westwood Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Brian Wiecenski arrived on scene, and DPW and fire department personnel coordinated in case additional resources were needed.
The maintenance hole that housed the transformer had to be drained before utility crews could safely begin repairs.
Arroyo credited WPD Sgt. Dean McCarroll, DPW and WVFD responder Matt Velthaus (“who was on scene and coordinating with DPW Superintendent Rick Woods in case DPW resources were needed”), and WPD Chief Michael Pontillo—who kept officials informed despite being out of state on vacation. “We have a great team and we truly appreciate their commitment to public safety,” the mayor said on Independence Day. “And last, but not least, thanks to the PSEG utility workers who toiled diligently into the night to turn the lights back on! Happy 4th of July to all!”
Gratitude quickly poured in from residents, especially those in the Westwood House senior residence, one of the properties affected by the outage.
“I appreciate everything that was done,” wrote Delores Barksdale in a comment on Arroyo’s update. “I was stuck in my electric recliner and scared to try to climb out of it… Everything went smooth at the Westwood senior house. We old-timers can handle this little inconvenience.”