Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Acting Director of Water and Sewer Utilities Kareem Adeem announced today that the City of Newark will receive the New Jersey Section American Water Resources Association Excellence in Water Resources Protection and Planning Award for the Queen Ditch Restoration Project, which was completed last July.
The project, a $5.8 million partnership with the State Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, created a new 60 by 108-inch concrete ox culvert and trash netting facility that prevents street debris and litter from entering the waterways surround the area, and dredged and restored the drainage facilities called the “Queen Ditch.” The project also restored a wetland habitat in this highly developed industrial area.
“This recognition of our hard work in making this portion of Frelinghuysen Avenue a safer artery for residents and visitors alike is more than a plaque on a wall. It is recognition of Newark’s leadership in addressing major safety and health issues, and our ability to move decisively,” Mayor Baraka said.
The areas addressed were the intersection of Frelinghuysen Avenue and Nobel Street as well as the Meeker Avenue underpass along Route 22. During heavy rainstorms, these arteries have often become flooded, forcing the Newark Department of Public Safety to issue traffic advisories to motorists to use alternate routes, creating traffic jams. Some vehicles and their occupants were caught in the flooding, which has required the department to send in first response rescue teams to save these commuters. In addition, the flooding causes property damage to local buildings.
“I want to thank the residents and business owners for their patience as our administration worked with our corporate, private, and public partners to remove this safety and health hazard from this neighborhood, after 35 years. This administration is taking action to address these long-stranding infrastructure issues with great energy. I thank the Mayor allowing us to move forward on this storm project,” said Director Adeem.
Construction of the new facilities required close coordination with the state Department of Environmental Protection as well as adjoining property owners and tenants. Grants provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency were instrumental in moving the project from the planning phase through construction. A comprehensive plan for maintenance and protection of vehicular traffic through this active construction site was critical to the ultimate success of the project. Neighbors included a hotel, the Newark Liberty International Airport employee parking facilities for United Airlines and a material distribution warehouse. Disruption to the flow of traffic to these neighboring facilities could not be tolerated. Careful management and removal of contaminated historical fill as well as unfavorable subsurface conditions were addressed during project planning and execution.
The design engineer and construction manager was CDM Smith, and the general contractor was Rencer Construction Services Ltd.
