Bike Lane On River Road In North Hudson To Be Improved

The news comes following last week’s Hudson County Board of Commissioners acceptance of a bid to resurface and improve the bicycle lane on River Road, located in the Town of West New York, the Town of Guttenberg, and the Township of North Bergen.

Included in the project are a number of Proven Safety Countermeasures as set forth by the Federal Highway Administration and will align with the goals of the forthcoming Hudson County Vision Zero Action Plan. These include:

• Bicycle Lanes
• High Friction Surface at Curves
• Reflective Backplates on Traffic Signals
• High Visibility Crosswalks
• Centerline Rumble Stripes
• Dedicated Left and Right Turn Lanes

“River Road will be milled and resurfaced from Anthony M. DeFino Way to South of Churchill Road. The northbound right lane and southbound right lane will be shared bike lanes from Anthony M. DeFino Way to Palisades Medical Center. From Palisades Medical Center to Bulls Ferry Road, the existing lanes and turn lanes will remain with striping shifted to the west. This will allow for a northbound and southbound bicycle lane alongside the northbound vehicular lanes.

A 2-foot-wide concrete island will be constructed to separate vehicular lanes from the bicycle lanes. The concrete islands will be 20 feet in length with a 12-foot gap in between. Delineators will fill the 12-foot gap. The project will consist of 2-inch roadway milling and 2-inch pavement resurfacing. Provisions are included for full depth pavement reconstruction where required. Curb ramps will be reconstructed at each intersection. Utility work includes resetting inlets, manholes, various valves, inlet grates, and curb pieces where required.

The funding for the bicycle lane part of the project will include funds from the 2023 New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Bikeway Grant ($637,000). The remainder of the funding will be from NJDOT County Aid, and County funding. The construction cost estimated for the project is $2,962,647.94. It is anticipated that the work will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and at least one lane will be open in each direction except during construction hours. It is anticipated that traffic will be shifted and reduced to one lane in each direction during construction hours. Access to properties along River Road will not be impeded during construction. The duration for construction will be approximately 180 calendar days.”