Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • July 25, 2012 Area Two major projects set to begin in Allendale by John Koster Two major construction projects are set to begin in Allendale next month, and members of the Allendale Borough Council urge motorists to plan alternate routes. Bergen County’s installation of a traffic light at Myrtle and West Crescent avenues is set to begin Aug. 1. Plans call for the area to be closed for two to three months. This project will take place during some of the same time as another county project: the replacement of the bridge on Brookside Avenue near Donnybrook Road. Both roads approach the K-8 schools in Allendale and Northern Highlands Regional High School. The project at Brookside Avenue is expected to result in road closing that could last nine to 12 months. Borough officials noted that the 70-year-old bridge at Donnybrook had been considered for five years, but no funding had been available until now. The borough ran the risk of losing the funding for the project if the work did not begin this year. As a result, replacement effort is due to begin next month. Councilwoman Jacqueline McSwiggan recently reported that the plans for both projects seemed to be on schedule for two ground-breakings, one around Aug. 1 and the other before the end of the month. “Myrtle and West Crescent Avenue will be closed,” Mayor Vince Barra advised at a recent council meeting. “We are shooting for -- and hoping for -- an August construction.” Councilwoman Elizabeth White noted that the county requires the long-awaited light to be completed in 90 days. She said she hopes it will be mostly completed in 30 days -- in time for the re-opening of school. White added that it was not possible to postpone construction because Bergen County, which is paying all the costs, is calling the shots. “We can’t stop. We can’t say it will be inconvenient,” White said. “We just have to go.” The area involved -- Myrtle Avenue and West Crescent Avenue near the center of the borough -- will be closed during construction so the work can be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. Members of the council, while concerned about the traffic associated with both of these projects, found a certain satisfaction in finally getting Bergen County to fund and complete these two projects. No details were available at press time about the exact costs, but Bergen County, not Allendale, will be picking up the tab. The long-awaited connection of Glen Avenue houses in Midland Park to the Ridgewood sanitary sewer system was expected to get underway this week, causing road closings from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday until Aug. 3. Motorists who routinely travel through the intersection of Glen and Erie avenues are advised to plan alternate routes during the construction period. Detours - Glen to Fairview to Monroe Street - will be posted in Midland Park and Ridgewood depending on the construction schedule. Police said efforts will be made to keep open access to Parkwood Deli at the corner of Glen and Erie at all times. After three years of waiting, the borough received a low-interest loan of $600,000 from the New Jersey Infrastructure Financial Trust earlier this year to do the project. The funds will cover the $119,843 construction cost and Ridgewood’s connection fee of $305,000, computed Glen Avenue detours planned The annual Waldwick Lions Club Carnival will take place Aug. 6 through 11 on the Forum School property located on Wyckoff Avenue in Waldwick. Area residents are invited to attend each night from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for food, rides, games, and an opportunity to win a cash prize. Waldwick Lions Club Carnival set at $5,000 per unit. Crossroad Construction of Newark was the low bidder for the work. Plans call for connecting the 61 homes in the Miedama Place/Fairview Avenue/Glen Avenue area to the Ridgewood main sewer line via a 175-foot gravity main. At present, the flow from the Midland Park homes goes via a pump station and force main to the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority in Waldwick. The rest of the borough’s nearly 3,000 sewer connections flow into the NWBCUA via gravity. The 17-year-old pump station at the corner of Glen and Erie avenues has experienced system failures for years, and the 40-year-old force main has had several significant breaks over the past decade, according to borough officials. They determined that connecting to the Ridgewood sewer main is more economical than upgrading the existing main and replacing the pump station, which has a remaining useful life of less than five years. A fireworks display will be held on Wednesday and Friday nights. The Lions will also offer wristband nights on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Those who purchase these specially-priced wristbands will be able to enjoy unlimited rides.