Essex County officials reported, On Monday, October 3rd, that the project to update 12 intersections along Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair with new equipment has been completed.
Officials say the project is part of Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo’s ongoing initiative to ensure infrastructure in Essex County is up to date and able to meet the changing demands of the community.
“Making sure our infrastructure is modern and up to date helps keep our downtown areas, like Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, safe for pedestrians and motorists and vibrant for our residents and businesses,” DiVincenzo said.
Joining the County Executive at the ribbon cutting were Commissioners Brendan Gill and Patricia Sebold and Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller.
The 12 intersections that were updated are as follows:
- Bloomfield Avenue and North/South Mountain Avenues
- Bloomfield Avenue and Orange Road/Bell Street
- Bloomfield Avenue and Valley Road
- Bloomfield Avenue and Midland Avenue (see below)
- Bloomfield Avenue and Park Street
- Bloomfield Avenue and North/South Fullerton Avenue/Church Street/Glenridge Avenue
- Bloomfield Avenue and Seymour Street (see below)
- Bloomfield Avenue and North/South Willow Street
- Bloomfield Avenue and Gates Avenue/Lackawanna Plaza
- Bloomfield Avenue and Elm Street/Grove Street
- Bloomfield Avenue and Hartley Street
- Bloomfield Avenue and Maple Avenue/Pine Street
Ten intersections received new poles and overhead lights equipped with LED bulbs, which are brighter, more energy efficient, and last longer.
The upgrades include pedestrian crosswalk signals, new roadway striping, and signage.
The new signals are equipped with backup power so the lights will continue functioning in case of a power failure or blackout. Sidewalks and curbing at the intersections were repaired or replaced where necessary.
New traffic signals where ones did not exist before were installed at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Midland Avenue.
Pedestrian crosswalk signals were installed at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Seymour Street.
In addition, the length of Bloomfield Avenue from Maple Avenue to Mountain Avenue was repaved and restriped.
KS Engineers, PC from Newark received a $1,318,964 professional services contract to design the intersection upgrades and provide inspection services during construction.
Trench Technologies from Millburn was awarded a publicly bid contract for $6,699,829 to perform the construction work.
The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to avoid delays. The improvements were funded through a North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority grant. The project started in August 2021.