Hillside Avenue Road Project Begins

This article was submitted by the Township of Livingston.

Sections of Hillside Avenue are closed as the township begins road construction on the link between W. Northfield and Mount Pleasant avenues. All improvements are scheduled to be completed before school starts.

The work is part of the township’s 10-year Capital Improvements Program for the Livingston road system. An approximately one-mile section of the road will be periodically closed to traffic for curbing and draining improvements, milling, paving, and pavement stripping.

One of the challenges that the contractors, Jenicar Builders Contractors Co. Inc., faces is complying with the new ADA standards on an existing roadway which has varying constraints including steep slopes and existing utilities.

“Jenicar is working hard to ensure the project is completed with the least disturbance to the residents of Livingston,” said Jeannette Harduby, Assistant Township Engineer, who helped develop plans and specifications for this project.

“The road will be closed in four phases with detours marked; Northfield to Manor; Manor to Belmont; Belmont to Hillside; Hillside Terrace to Rt. 10,” explained Harduby. “And at the end of the project, the whole road will be closed for approximately 3 days between 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. for milling and paving. The road will reopen to traffic at the end of each day.”

This project is partially funded by a $230,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. “The total cost of this road improvement is $409,066.03,” reported Richard Calbi, Township Engineer.  “The Hillside Avenue road project will benefit residents by providing a safer roadway that is easier to traverse,” he continued. “And we will also be installing speed humps on Hillside Avenue to calm traffic at the request of the homeowners in the area and school officials.”

In addition to the road improvements, the Township Public Works employees will continue their annual road maintenance including micro surfacing roads, patches, curb repairs and crack sealing in order to preserve, and increase the useful life of pavement and road surfaces. Residents are requested to utilize the Citizen’s Service Request System to report any damage/concerns regarding street and road repair. The system deals with non-emergency requests, and is utilized by several Township departments. Each request is tracked to ensure that each issue is addressed in a timely manner.

To access the Citizen’s Service Request System, please visit www.livingstonnj.org.  Click on the Service Request Icon to report a damage/concern. For more information on the Engineering Department, click Engineering in the left hand column on the website. The Engineering Department is located on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Building, 357 South Livingston Ave. Opening hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. If you would like to talk to a staff member, call (973) 535-7950 or email engineering@livingstonnj.org.