Hoboken Paves Washington Street; ‘High Priority,’ Bhalla Says

HOBOKEN, NJ — Don’t fear the ubiquitous smell of milling and paving, Hoboken… it’s just a sign that work on the long-awaited, $17 million Washington Street rehab and redesign project is underway.

Workers began paving from Observer Highway to 1st Street this week, which will eventually extend all the way down the entire length of Washington Street to 15th Street. The overall rehab effort is expected to be completed by summer of 2018, city officials said.

• See related article: Hoboken Officials Give Update On Washington Street Rehab Project

Mayor-Elect Ravi Bhalla wrote that he plans to be “on top on this project daily” and said that it’s among his “highest priorities” in 2018.

Project updates from the city can be seen here.

City officials have previously described Washington Street as "Hoboken's most dangerous corridor," and have estimated that more than 300 crashes have taken place there between 2013 and 2015, including a pedestrian fatality.

• See related article: Hoboken's 'Most Dangerous Corridor': Design Meeting For Washington Street Scheduled

In addition to milling and paving, the project also includes:

• Installation of 15 new traffic signals with pedestrian countdown timers, emergency pre-emption system, and optimized signal timing
• Installation of concrete bump outs at corners with ADA handicap curb ramps and high visibility crosswalks
• Addition of 15 rain gardens and drainage improvements to capture stormwater and help reduce the city's flooding
• Replacement of century-old water mains and service lines to new valve boxes at the curb
• Installation of conduit for an electrical microgrid and fiber optic cabling
• Refurbishment of all existing street lights with more efficient lighting fixtures
• Addition of Class II unprotected bicycle lanes from Observer Highway to 8th Street
• Creation of dedicated commercial loading zones

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Photo: City of Hoboken

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