Busy Montclair Intersection Will Get ‘Long-Awaited’ Safety Upgrade

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A busy intersection and pedestrian plaza in Montclair will be getting a long-awaited safety upgrade, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill announced Monday.

Gill, a Montclair resident, said the Essex County Board of County Commissioners approved the improvements earlier this month. Upgrades will include the installation of two new traffic signals at the intersection of Watchung Avenue and Park Street and at Watchung Plaza, as well as “roadway improvements” to Watchung Avenue.

According to a statement from Gill, here’s why the upgrades are needed:

“Watchung Avenue and Park Street are busy, major thoroughfares in Montclair that intersect at the Watchung Train Station and Watchung Plaza, a popular pedestrian shopping village anchored by a small park. The plaza intersection creates an unusual traffic pattern, lacks a traffic light and sees a high volume of pedestrian and automobile traffic.”

Gill said that residents have been expressing concerns to him about the hazards of the four-way intersection “for some time.”

“The Watchung neighborhood is a shopping and dining hub of thriving small businesses anchored by a commuter train station and a park,” he said. “These improvements will calm traffic and improve driving and pedestrian safety for all who enjoy this area and will provide relief for the adjacent residential neighborhoods that have also been impacted by the issues at this intersection.”

Gill noted that the county board of commissioners awarded a $620,753 contract for the project to Foggia Trinity Electric of Berkeley Heights at their April 3 meeting.

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