Route 46 interchange reconstruction completed at Browertown Road in Passaic County
(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Kris Kolluri today announced the completion of the $50 million, federally-funded Browertown Road interchange reconstruction on Route 46 in Little Falls Township and West Paterson Borough, Passaic County. The project is part of NJDOT’s $234 million commitment to improve safety at six locations on Route 46 from Clifton to Fairfield in Passaic and Essex counties.
"The completion of the Browertown Road interchange demonstrates NJDOT’s commitment to enhance the safety and efficiency of Route 46,” Kolluri said. "Congressman Bill Pascrell has worked tirelessly to secure support and funding for these projects on Route 46, and his advocacy helped deliver this project as quickly as possible."
The Route 46/Browertown Road interchange reconstruction added new ramps from Browertown Road to and from Route 46 and added acceleration and deceleration lanes from Route 46 to the new ramps. NJDOT installed new traffic signals along Browertown Road to improve safety at entrances to ramps and businesses. A new service road was built along Route 46 eastbound to provide access to businesses west of Browertown Road. In addition, NJDOT incorporated Rose Street, along the south side of Route 46, into the ramps to and from eastbound Route 46. NJDOT also repaired the Great Notch Brook culverts under Browertown Road, Rose Street, and Route 46. NJDOT maintained three lanes on Route 46 during peak travel hours throughout construction.
"Securing federal dollars to invest in Route 46 has been my top highway transportation priority in Congress, and I am pleased to see that it is paying off," stated U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08), a former member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "Completion of the Browertown Road Interchange and replacement of the bridge over the Peckman River demonstrate significant progress in my commitment to modernize Route 46 in a way that meets the growing demands of the 21st century. These highway improvements will positively impact the quality of life in northern New Jersey. Commuting times will be reduced and business accessibility and productivity will increase to create a more livable community in Passaic County. I will continue my fight in Washington to ensure that Commissioner Kolluri and the Department of Transportation have the funding necessary to complete remaining projects along Route 46 as quickly and safely as possible."
The reconstruction of the Route 46/Browertown Road interchange is the third project that NJDOT has completed as part of the Route 46 corridor initiative. NJDOT recently replaced the deteriorated and functionally obsolete Route 46 Bridge over the Peckman River in Little Falls Township. The new structure is approximately five feet wider and features improved alignment, upgraded bridge approaches and new median barriers. The $9.3 million federally-funded project entailed no detours.
In September 2006, NJDOT completed a project to reconstruct the Route 46 interchange with Fairfield Road/Little Falls Road and the Route 46 interchange with Two Bridges Road/Passaic Avenue in Fairfield Township. This $12.2 million project installed new acceleration and deceleration lanes, new signing and striping at each intersection.
The following NJDOT projects on Route 46 are in progress:
• The $86.1 million Route 46/23/80 project addresses Route 46 from the Passaic River to Galesi Drive in Wayne. The project includes bridge deck replacement, realignment and resurfacing, ramp modification and the addition of signs, lighting, guide rails and acceleration and deceleration lanes. The project is currently half way complete and is scheduled to close in November 2008.
• A $28.3 million project in Clifton City is replacing the Van Houten Avenue bridge over Route 46, reconstructing Route 46 from Rock Hill Road to Grove Street and will reconstruct the Grover Street and Van Houten Avenue intersection. The project is scheduled for completion in early Fall 2007.
• In Totowa Borough, a $47.2 million on-going project will replace the Union Boulevard bridge over Route 46 with a longer structure, with the reconstruction of all on/off ramps. The project also includes the realignment of Lackawanna Avenue. It is scheduled for completion in early Fall 2007.
Route 46 is a major east-west route for New Jersey commuters and shoppers as well as motorists traveling between Pennsylvania and New York. Real time travel and construction information for all of these projects is available online at www.njcommuter.com.
