Just when you thought driving through Maplewood was going to get better with the start of school, the Maplewood Police Department and South Orange-Maplewood School District have informed us otherwise.
Although New Jersey American Water Company (NJAWC) will complete primary work on Valley Street in Maplewood by Saturday, Sept. 3 — just in time for school to reopen — other portions of the project and other work could disrupt traffic although disruptions are being timed between school opening and closing each day.
“Except for brief periodic finishing work…all traffic will be allowed to flow on Valley St. after 9/3/16 between Baker Street and Millburn Avenue,” according to a release from the Maplewood Police. The remainder of the Valley St. work will take place from Sept. 5-9, but only between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to minimize the impact on traffic to and from Tuscan School — and should not necessitate the road being closed. The Maplewood Police will provide police patrols near Tuscan School on Tuesday, the day school opens.
However, there will be temporary closures at Maplewood Avenue and Baker Street and at Dunnell Road and Baker Street between September 6-8, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The closures are during school hours for nearby Maplewood Middle School, so should not impact school drop-off and pick-up.
See releases attached as a PDF below; the traffic information is on the second page.
The NJAW project, which began in June, involves cleaning and lining of the water mains, and is expected to be complete by November. (The work will improve the reliability of water service, water quality and fire flows in the area.) Read more about the project on the Maplewood Township website.
Rick Bace of NJAWC told Village Green earlier this week that the next phase of work will affect Millburn Avenue from Valley St. to Main Street, and Cypress Street between Millburn Ave. and Myrtle Ave., in Millburn. That part of the project should take about a month, said Bace.
For more information, Bace can be reached at 973-564-5715.
