ONE SMALL STEP: Washington Street Construction Set to Begin This Week

Businesses along Hoboken’s Washington Street received notices today that construction is set to begin on the city’s main drag.

“The contract requires that all work between Observer Highway and 8^th Street be complete within 365 days,” says the City, “and that the entire project between Observer Highway and 15^th Street be complete within 550 days.”

In addition to milling, paving and striping Washington Street from Observer Highway to 15^th Street, 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 8^thStreet
• Creation of dedicated commercial loading zones

Parking, delivery and pedestrian access will potentially be impacted throughout the construction process—within specific hours of construction, which are Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 7:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 3:00pm.

On weekdays, setup of daily activities will be permitted to begin at 6:30am with cleanup activities completed by 8:00pm. On Saturdays, setup is permitted to start at 8:30am with cleanup completed by 4:00pm. According to a press release from the City of Hoboken, the modified construction hours were approved by the City Council in order to expedite the construction schedule and minimize the disruption to this vital commercial corridor.

There will also be brief interruptions in water service along Washington Street for the replacement of the water mains and service lines to the curb. The project engineer and contractor is expected to coordinate with property owners in an effort to minimize the disruption.

Temporary delivery zones and trash storage and pickup areas will be established for the affected businesses/residents within the work zone areas.

Residents and businesses are able to monitor the progress via www.washingtonstreetproject.com.