Witherspoon Street Improvement Project - Phase III (Leigh to Valley)

Witherspoon Street is undergoing a transformation to a safer, friendlier corridor that will meet the needs of all its users - pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, businesses, and residents. Phase I, which transforms the area in the central business district, is nearing completion while Phase II, in the historic Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood, will begin construction in May.

Phase III will continue the transformation from Leigh Avenue to Valley Road, traversing the residential, professional office, and municipal facility neighborhood. Similar to the work being done in Phase II, the improvements will include repair and replacement of the sanitary sewer and drainage systems, widening and reconstruction of sidewalks, installation of high-visibility crosswalks (including 2 raised crosswalks), roadway narrowing, traffic calming through bumpouts, traffic signal improvements, and new trees and landscaping. A proposed central feature will be a rain garden adjacent to the municipal building parking lot that will serve not only as stormwater management infrastructure, but will also provide educational opportunities to the community.

Partially funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Local Aid program in the amount $650,000, and through a low-interest loan from the NJ Transportation Infrastucture Bank, this Phase is being designed and will be advertised for construction bids in late summer or early fall of 2023. The construction contract will be awarded in mid-October 2023.

Excluded from Phase III for now is the construction of improvements to the intersecton of Witherspoon Street and Valley Road. The design of Phase III will include development of concepts for improving this intersection, which may include a new traffic signal, modification of the existing traffic signal, or a single-lane roundabout. If substantial improvements are proposed, they cannot be constructed as part of Phase III simply because the design review process will be extensive as the construction will be subject to extensive environmental review.