NORTH BERGEN, NJ —
July 30, 2026 |
By DailyHudson Staff
Special meeting speeds up project by weeks to beat cold weather
By next week, the rumble of paving machines will replace the potholes on 6th Street and Columbia Avenue — a sound some residents have been waiting months to hear.
The North Bergen Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday at a special meeting to approve a contract with the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank for road improvements on those two streets. The vote was 5-0, and it came at the request of Department of Public Works Commissioner Anthony Vainieri.
“What this does is expedites our construction down on 6th Street and Columbia Avenue by at least three, four weeks, which we can’t afford going into the winter months already,” Vainieri said. He thanked Mayor Nick Sacco, the commissioners, and the administration for holding the special meeting.
The project includes new sidewalks on both sides of 6th Street, all the way to Columbia Avenue and into the dead-end street nearby. The road itself will be milled and paved in the coming weeks.
“Construction is ready to start in about two weeks, and we’re looking at an end date of the end of October,” Vainieri said. “If we didn’t do this special meeting for this, we’d be back into November, maybe December months and we couldn’t afford to do that. We wanted to get this done by the end of the year.”
The reason for the rush is simple: cold weather makes it impossible to lay concrete and get good asphalt. October and November can turn cold fast in New Jersey, and the township didn’t want to risk delays that could push the work into winter.
This kind of special meeting isn’t common, but it’s used when a project needs to move faster than the usual monthly schedule allows. The board typically meets once a month for regular business, but Vainieri requested this extra session to lock in the funding now.
For people who live or commute on 6th Street or Columbia Avenue, the wait for smoother roads will be shorter by about a month. That may not sound like much, but if you’re the one hitting potholes every morning on your way to drop the kids at school, it matters.
The township is also ramping up other road projects. Bids will open next week for milling and paving on 9th and 10th Streets. One of those streets will also get new sidewalks, depending on available funding.
Construction on 83rd Street near Tonnelle Avenue starts August 3rd. Work on 85th Street near the Junior High School — including new sidewalks, milling, and paving — starts in the coming days.
And then there’s Bergenline Avenue. Phase 2 of the upgrades — covering from 79th Street to the township line by the White Castle — was approved at the board’s July meeting. That work will bring new sidewalks, lampposts, garbage cans, benches, and fresh pavement.
Meanwhile, the township has installed new yield signs on 90th, 85th, and 61st Streets between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue to improve pedestrian safety.
“We’re getting our job done, mayor,” Vainieri said.
The special meeting also covered other government business — including a debate over a proposed $38 million lease with the municipal utilities authority — but for most residents, the roadwork is the news they’ll feel in their daily commute.
What should you watch for? If you live on 6th Street or Columbia Avenue, expect construction equipment to arrive in about two weeks. The work is supposed to be done by the end of October. On 85th Street near the junior high, work is starting now. On Bergenline Avenue, Phase 2 is in the planning stages. For the latest updates, check the township’s website or call the DPW.
It’s not glamorous. But a smooth street, a safe sidewalk, a timely project — that’s the kind of government work that actually makes a difference in people’s lives.
Source: Hudson County View