In an aged city like Hoboken, repairs are necessary in order to keep infrastructure up and running, and the current set of repairs revolve around the water main replacement. The work for this started on Monday, October 23, 2023 in the southwest part of Hoboken according to an email sent out by Councilman Ruben Ramos Jr. of the 4th Ward.
The replacement work happened on Jefferson Street in between Newark Street and 1st Street. For this reason, access to water was temporarily shut down on Jefferson Street in between Newark and 1st Street, and on 1st Street in between Adams Street and Madison Street. While this was certainly an inconvenience, this shutdown of water would last only from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The contractor, J. Fletcher Creamer, working with the city of Hoboken’s Engineering Department, had already informed all affected properties on the shutdown sites. The purpose of this replacement work is so that the new water main system can be connected to the already existing system on 1st Street.
Regarding traffic and safety, many precautions were already accounted for. Traffic detours were mapped out due to the closing of several streets. Additionally, the Hoboken Police Department was on-site to help facilitate the traffic flow at all nearby intersections during the time period for the construction. Lastly, it announced ahead of time that parking would not be available within the construction sites for the duration of the replacement work.
This work should not impact the Stevens community directly as water on-campus is still accessible and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, the work being done will ensure that no further disruptions regarding water main happen — especially not to the degree that the Stevens community dealt with last semester. In terms of passing by construction sites, any students driving around or walking near the construction areas should be aware and cautious of the work being done there.
