Photo by Susan C. Moeller Orient Way in Lyndhurst, heavily traveled by trucks and cars alike, is slated to be repaved by the county sometime this year. Locust Lane in East Rutherford will also get a fresh coat of asphalt.

By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (March 11, 2010) — Two local roads will be repaved by Bergen County this year. Orient Way in Lyndhurst and Locust Lane and Locust Avenue in East Rutherford have both been included in the county’s 2010 plan for road improvements.

The streets are among 18 chosen by the county for repaving this spring, according to Sheri Hensley, Bergen County communications director. The total cost for the projects, approximately $6 million, will be paid using funds provided by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The roadways to be redone, more than 20 miles of pavement, were chosen because of traffic volume, condition and plans for utility work, Hensley noted.

The county will begin rolling out asphalt in April, but a work schedule indicating which areas will be done first was not available at press time.

Orient Way in Lyndhurst, with its easy access from Route 17 to the industrial community along Schuyler Avenue, is heavily traveled by commercial vehicles — including weighty dump trucks — and passenger cars alike. The thoroughfare is showing signs of wear and tear.

Before Orient gets its new surface, the township plans to replace the water and sewer lines that snake below it. Bonds secured through the township’s water utility will pay for the upgrades. The loans will be repaid without increasing the current water rate, according to Mayor Richard DiLascio.

Because the pipes to be replaced are close to the curb, minimal traffic disruptions are expected during the township’s renovations.

The municipal portion of the project should be completed by mid-October, although the exact time frames have not yet been hammered out, according to DiLascio.

Residents familiar with Orient Way may wonder why only Lyndhurst will benefit from the county’s largesse. The portion of the street that runs through Rutherford is not a county road, Hensley explained.

The decision to repave Locust, which runs through East Rutherford and Wallington, was more hands-off for local officials. Mayor James Cassella said that the borough was simply notified that the roadway would be done.

“The safety of our pedestrians and motorists is a top priority for my administration and these road resurfacing projects will go a long way toward ensuring their safety,” County Executive Dennis McNerney stated.

Contact Susan at 201-438-8700