Route 4 lane closures
necessary in Elmwood Park and Fairlawn

Installation of traffic signals and crosswalk
relocation part of pedestrian safety project

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced daytime lane closures on Route 4 in Elmwood Park and Fairlawn in the vicinity of the NJ TRANSIT Broadway rail station for approximately a week as part of a pedestrian safety project.

The lane closures are scheduled from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are expected to begin tomorrow, Thursday, April 16 and continue through Friday, April 24. Motorists should expect delays associated with the safety project to install traffic signals and to relocate a crosswalk across Route 4.

The closures, to accommodate construction crews, will extend for about a half-mile in length along Route 4 in the vicinity of the existing crosswalk near 55th Street and the NJ TRANSIT railroad bridge.

• The shoulders and the right lanes of Route 4 in each direction will be closed tomorrow and Friday, April 16 and 17, and Monday through Thursday, April 20 through April 23, with possible closures over the weekend on April 18 and 19.
  
• The left travel lanes in each direction will be closed later in the project.

• There will be intermittent overnight lane closures starting Monday, April 20 for the installation of the traffic signal poles and fixtures.

Local police will be on hand during all lane closures to ensure safety for pedestrians walking along or across Route 4. Motorists with local destinations should seek to avoid this stretch of Route 4 if at all possible.

The purpose of the project is to enhance safety for pedestrians who cross the busy highway, including pedestrians on their way to and from NJ TRANSIT’s Broadway Fairlawn train station on the Bergen County Line.  Currently, the pedestrian crosswalk is not equipped with traffic signals. 

The project will shift the existing crosswalk slightly to the west and includes the installation of new traffic signals at the crosswalk, as well as countdown heads for pedestrians to know when highway traffic will stop for them.  ADA ramps, new curbing and roadway striping also will be installed.  Barriers will be positioned to dissuade pedestrians from jaywalking and to use the new crosswalk.

The Department is alerting motorists and pedestrians of the closures and anticipated congestion and delays through the use of portable and permanent Variable Message Signs.   Motorists are encouraged to check www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.