ESSEX COUNTY DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES $42 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM NJTPA WILL FUND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT 36 INTERSECTIONS

13 Feb ESSEX COUNTY DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES $42 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM NJTPA WILL FUND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT 36 INTERSECTIONS

Published on February 13, 2026

Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. joined with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to announce Essex County will be receiving $41.9 million in grants to improve safety at 37 intersections through two traffic signal improvement projects located north and south of Interstate 280.

Funded through the FY 2026 Subregional Safety Improvement Program, the projects will deliver safety upgrades along key corridors including Bloomfield Avenue, John F. Kennedy Parkway and South Livingston Avenue, South Orange Avenue, and Sanford Street and Avenue in Caldwell, West Caldwell, Verona, Belleville, Irvington, Livingston, East Orange and Newark.

“People know which intersections feel unsafe, because they deal with them every day,” said DiVincenzo, who also serves as an NJTPA board member. “This funding lets us fix those trouble spots, improve crossings and signals, and make it easier and safer for residents to get where they need to go,” he added.

Under the program, Essex County is advancing two projects, one focused on 17 intersections north of I-280 and a second focused on 19 intersections south of I-280. Together, the projects include installing three new traffic signals and upgrading 34 existing signals. Additional improvements include leading pedestrian intervals and all-pedestrian phases, realigned high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands at select locations, and upgraded signs and pavement markings to improve safety and traffic operations.

The intersections included in these projects are among the highest-priority locations for safety improvements in Essex County on the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s

2023 Network Screening List. Between 2017 and 2021, the intersections experienced a combined 2,016 crashes, including two fatalities, 13 suspected serious injuries, and 59 pedestrian-involved crashes.

The total project cost of $41.9 million includes $20.4 million for the project north of I-280 and $21.5 million for the project south of I-280, covering construction and construction inspection. As the projects move forward under the FY 2026 program, Essex County will deliver targeted improvements to address documented safety concerns across the County.

The average time to reach construction authorization for federally funded projects of this scale is approximately 6.5 years, reflecting the planning required to deliver lasting safety improvements.

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