Russell Avenue Open to Traffic

Surfacing work on Russell Avenue concluded earlier than expected today, as Wyckoff police removed barricades at about 4 p.m. to allow motorists to travel in both directions. 

The road had been closed from Wyckoff Avenue to the Route 208 interchange at 6 a.m., and the project had been expected to last until 6 p.m. However, police at the scene said that work had progressed quickly and smoothly, enabling the use of the road earlier than expected.

The roadway had been blocked to allow work crews from the Bergen County Department of Public Works to install a skid-resistant surface to the portion of the thoroughfare near Helena Avenue. Sheri Hensley, the county's director of communications, said the material known as "safety grip" generally provides motorists greater traction, especially when the road is wet or slippery. She said that the material takes roughly six to eight hours to dry once applied.

It's hoped that the new surface will help decrease the frequency of motor vehicle crashes at that stretch of Russell Avenue, which curves at almost a 90-degree angle past Helena Avenue, as motorists head toward Route 208 or Sicomac Avenue. Indeed, safety concerns prompted the project. Hensley said that police Chief Benjamin Fox requested the work, citing at least six major accidents this year.

“A number of cars have slid off the road or slid across the road,” Fox has said. There have been “a number of wet weather crashes on that roadway.”

Russell Avenue resident Michael Brienza, a member of the Friends of Wyckoff, recently detailed the safety problems at the Sept. 15 meeting of the governing body. While speaking during the public portion of the township committee meeting, he expressed great concern about people traveling at high rates of speed around the curve, which he felt leads to accidents too regularly. Brienza requested the installation of a traffic-calming device. 

Helena Avenue resident Petra Arnone also believes that Russell Avenue needed attention, saying accidents are a common occurrence. Arnone was pleased to see the work crews today and felt that any inconvenience the project may have caused residents was well worth the effort by the county.

Although the surfacing project was limited to the stretch of Russell Avenue near Helena Avenue, the entire thoroughfare was closed up to Route 208, which essentially trapped residents in their homes if they had not moved their cars by 6 a.m. Police said that residents were able to park their cars on Stony Brook Lane or Waverly Place, although some may have parked their cars in the park and ride lot at the nearby Cornerstone Christian Church on Wyckoff Avenue, at least judging by the packed lot.

Chief Fox said the police department had contacted all the affected residents, and officers were posted at Wyckoff Avenue, Helena Avenue and Route 208, in part to assist residents who had trouble reaching their homes. However, the chief said that the department did not record any problems.

Michelle Walbaum also contributed to this article.