Police: Roadwork Will Close Part of Mt. Prospect Avenue

Verona Police have announced an upcoming road closure as county workers dig a trench across the roadway in an effort to alleviate problems caused by frozen ground water.

Mt. Prospect Avenue will be closed from Bloomfield Avenue in Verona to Eagle Rock Avenue in West Orange from 7 a.m. on Thursday, Aug 11, until 7 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 12. The roadway will be inaccessible during those times, and for another 12 hour stretch from 7 p.m. on Friday evening until 7 a.m. Saturday morning.

During the road work, drivers wishing to access The Manor, the Residence Inn or the Montclair Golf Club must do so from the West Orange side. To access Sunset Avenue, drivers can enter from the top of the hill off Bloomfield Avenue, or from either Brookdale or Park Avenues.

Verona Police Captain Mitchell Stern said he hoped the construction project would fix a longstanding problem of frozen groundwater creating treacherous conditions for motorists.

"For the last 15 years water has been seeping up from the ground and freezing in the winter. It becomes an unbelievable ice trap on the road, so that's a big problem for us," he said.

Stern also noted that the continual expansion and contraction of frozen water seeping into the cracks in the asphalt causes the roads to deteriorate more rapidly than normal, resulting in more frequent repavings.

Check back with Patch for updates as they become available.