Photo Courtesy of Glen Frieson Essex County and Bloomfield officials announce that new traffic signal equipment was installed at the intersections of Bloomfield Avenue and Municipal Plaza and Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street in Bloomfield on Friday, June 10.
Essex County and Bloomfield officials announce that new traffic signal equipment was installed at the intersections of Bloomfield Avenue and Municipal Plaza and Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street in Bloomfield on Friday, June 10.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — New traffic signal equipment was installed at the intersections of Bloomfield Avenue and Municipal Plaza and Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street in Bloomfield. The improvements are part of a $6 million project to upgrade nine intersections throughout Essex County.
“Traveling along county roads and through these intersections are part of our daily lives. We use county roads to go to work, school and shopping. This project is part of our ongoing initiative to modernize our infrastructure to ensure it meets current traffic demands,” Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. said. “Both of these intersections are located in Bloomfield’s downtown district and are among the busiest in the county. Making sure they are up to date and functioning property contributes to the vibrancy of the business district and will ensure pedestrians and motorists can pass through safely.”
“This is one of the busiest intersections in Bloomfield. I am particularly pleased with the dedicated left turn signal from Municipal Plaza onto Bloomfield Avenue because that will eliminate much of the congestion,” Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia said at the June 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The equipment includes LED traffic signals, modern poles, high visibility crosswalks and roadway striping, and pedestrian countdown timers that can be activated by pushing the crossing button. LED lights are brighter, easier to see, more energy efficient and last longer than traditional bulbs. Sidewalks and curbs around the intersections were replaced and the intersections were repaved. The signals also are outfitted with GPS clocks to ensure they remain coordinated with other traffic signals along Park Avenue. An added feature on Municipal Plaza is a dedicated left turn signal onto Bloomfield Avenue.
NV5 from Parsippany received a professional services contract for $179,808 to design the upgrades at all locations. Assuncao Brothers Inc. from Edison was awarded a publicly bid contract for $4,825,659 to perform the construction work. Dewberry Engineers from Bloomfield was awarded a $998,349 contract to provide construction engineering services. The design, construction and construction inspection for each intersection cost about $666,000. Essex County received a grant from the Federal Local Safety Program to fund the project. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to answer questions and avoid delays from occurring.
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