Caldwell to Pave Brookside Avenue, Continue Water Main Replacement

Brookside Avenue will soon be repaved as Caldwell continues its $1.5 million water main project this summer. 

The Caldwell Borough Council is expected to award a contract at its Tuesday meeting for crews to mill and pave Brookside Avenue, said Mayor Ann Dassing. Construction on the roadway is expected to begin in early July and end on Sept. 6. 

Dassing said crews will repave Brookside Avenue in sections. Construction will extend on Brookside Avenue from Westville Avenue to Runnymede Road.   

The repaving is part of the borough’s $1.5 million project to replace water mains throughout The Cedars. The project began in the spring of 2011, which some council members critically recalled.

Councilman John Coyle was quoted as criticizing how long it is taking for the Brookside Avenue portion of the project to be completed, calling it “unconscionable,” according to The Progress. 

Councilman Thomas O’Donnell also took issue with the timetable of the project, saying "the expectation was that it was going to be done in the spring,” according to the article.

Dassing said she did not believe the planning and implementation of the projects was an “inordinate amount of time,” considering the borough had to work with Caldwell and North Caldwell regarding the construction.  

“It seemed to me we were moving ahead on track,” Dassing added. “The fact we are finally putting some money to it and getting it done is, in my mind, a huge improvement from what we did in the past.” 

In May, the council bonded an additional $570,000 for the project due to cost overruns.  

The project will continue elsewhere around July 1 as the borough looks to replace water mains running through Knollwood Terrace, and Cedars and Overlook roads. Construction is expected to take about six weeks. 

These water mains “have really inadequate water flows,” Dassing said.  

The mayor expected the repaving of Knollwood Terrace, and Cedars and Overlook roads to begin in September.