Boro proposes widening, repairing Wyoming Ave.
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD - Wyoming Avenue is in for an extensive makeover.

Borough officials aim to widen the road, make drainage improvements and install curbs and sidewalks on sections that have none, according to Borough Council President Curtis Stollen. Much of the road is in poor condition, he noted.

At a recent council meeting, several dozen residents heard a presentation on just what the borough has in mind to bring the road up to current standards. The road starts at Burlington Avenue and runs parallel to Adirondack Avenue.

Stollen noted that Wyoming Avenue has two sections; one much newer than the other. The upper, newer section begins at Burlington Avenue and has some curbs and sidewalks. It is also about 30 feet in width. The lower section, which is larger in length, is where the majority of the problems are, because it is much narrower and has no curbs or sidewalks. The residences in this area were built without proper drainage being designed.

The work will have to be done over the course of several years, Stollen said, as the price tag is about estimated at about $1.4 million. The borough has been awarded about $330,000 in state grants for the work, but further assistance will be needed.

"It's not close to what we needed," he said of the $330,000. "We will do additional parts of the work as we secure more funding."

Mayor Barry Zagnit has said that the project is major, but necessary, and that the receipt of additional funds would play a role in determining when the work is completed.

Before doing the actual roadwork, the borough will have to address drainage issues and reline the water pipes, Stollen said.

Wyoming Avenue was not a through street until recent years when newer homes were built there and the road was opened.

This left a tale of two roads. "On the lower end, near Hudson [Avenue], it's very narrow, with no drainage, and a poor road," he said, noting that cars park on both sides the road. While that section will need intensive upgrades, the upper section near Burlington Avenue will be milled and repaved. That section has curbs and sidewalks.

"It needs more drastic improvements at the lower end," Stollen said.

The plan is to make the entire road 30 feet wide, which will affect the yards of some residents on the lower section. The borough will also have to address right-ofway issues before undertaking the project.

Borough Business Administrator Ron Fasanello said there is no timeframe yet for any of the construction work, but CME Engineering is preparing the plans.