Major Road Work Initiatives

If you live in Secaucus, I am sure you have noticed all the road work that has been going on during the past few weeks. When I first saw the construction, I thought it was just random pot holes being filled. But with the fact that the construction has been going on for weeks on different streets, it is obvious that this is all just part of a bigger picture. In fact, the construction so far is just the beginning.

There are actually a few major initiatives in the works. A number of streets will be repaved this summer. Some streets are simply in dire need of repaving, while others first require infrastructure improvements.

One of the streets that needs work is Franklin Street in the north end of town. As part of the Franklin Street Roadway Preservation Project, the stretch of Franklin Street between Paterson Plank Road and Gillis Place will be repaved, and sidewalks, curbs, and driveway aprons will be replaced as needed. But more importantly, Councilman Nick Costantino said storm water pipes that were installed years ago on Franklin Street had collapsed and need replacement.

Another initiative in the works involves PSE&G. The energy company will be replacing underground utility lines which will require digging up some streets. And obviously, once completed, those streets will have to be repaved.

One of the most significant projects deals with the Paterson Plank Road bridge which passes over Route 3. There will be a complete rebuilding of the deck. This is a critical overpass, because it is the only road in and out of the north side of town.

Meadowlands Parkway will be another roadway which will be improved. The entire length of this major road will be repaved, Mayor Mike Gonnelli announced last year. Meadowlands Parkways has historically been prone to flooding during heavy rain. So hopefully, the repaving initiative will help with that.

Unfortunately, all of this construction inevitably means detours and delays. In fact, officials warned that there will be a number of detours throughout town until the end of the year. “This won’t be gridlock, people will get through, but they have to have patience,” Mayor Gonnelli said.

For those who drive on Paterson Plank Road often, you would have most likely experienced some kind of delay due to the construction already. So far, the delays there have been relatively minor, but that might only be temporary. Many of us have seen traffic from Route 3 West back up into Secaucus during inclement weather. So when work begins on the aforementioned Paterson Plank Road bridge, which is where one of the entrance ramps to Route 3 West is, things could get significantly worse.

Although work hasn't actually begun yet, Meadowlands Parkway may also face delays in the coming weeks. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in the spring of 2019. So it should begin any day now. Given that there is already significant traffic on Meadowlands Parkway during rush hours, any construction work can only lead to more aggravated drivers.

In addition to major roadways, a lot of the construction work centers around more residential streets. During the past month, it seems like the streets between Paterson Plank Road and Radio Ave have been playing a game of musical chairs in terms of getting closed off as those streets are dug up. Obviously, this has greatly inconvenienced residents in that area.

Despite the negatives from all this construction, there is very good news for the people of Secaucus. Town officials were able to secure grant money from the county, state, or federal level for much of these repairs. This means that Secaucus residents don't have to flip the bill in the form of local taxes.

For example, a $450,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Municipal Aid Program is paying for the Franklin Street Roadway Preservation Project. “We’re really happy that the Franklin Project grant was approved,” said Mayor Gonnelli. The funds from this grant in part comes from the state gas tax. So it is good to see the extra money that we pay at the pump getting put to good use.

Similarly, the repaving of Meadowlands Parkway is thanks to a grant of $2.5 million from NJDOT’s Local Freight Impact Fund Program. As many of us can attest to, trucks can often be seen traveling through Secaucus, and officials were able to secure this grant due to the high number of trucks that utilize Meadowlands Parkway.

With all the road work scheduled, it seems Secaucus residents will have to put up with some delays and detours for months to come. But once completed, our roads should be much smoother without much impact to our local taxes. And for those who remember the flooding that Secaucus experienced last September, here's hoping the drainage system around town will be improved significantly as well.