Bergen County has officially Begun Prep Work for the Long-awaited Repaving of Maple Avenue in Ridgewood

Smoother Ride or Short-Lived Fix? The Truth Behind Ridgewood’s Maple Avenue Paving Project

photos courtesy of Village Manager Keith Kazmark

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood residents, there is light at the end of the tunnel. After months of dealing with traffic delays, lane shifts, and the heavy machinery required to lay down new stormwater lines, Bergen County has officially begun concrete prep work.

The goal? A long-awaited, completely smooth repaving of Maple Avenue, stretching all the way from the Ho-Ho-Kus border to the Glen Rock border.

But while a smoother commute through the Village is just around the corner this summer, many locals are asking a frustrating question: Is this expensive new pavement about to be destroyed by upcoming downtown construction?

The Elephant in the Downtown: The Kensington Assisted Living Project

The core of residents’ anxiety lies at the busy intersection of Franklin Avenue and North Maple Avenue.

This site is slated to become the home of the Kensington assisted living facility—a massive, projected two-year major construction development right in the heart of downtown Ridgewood.

Locals are rightfully concerned. Heavy construction vehicles, utility hookups, and underground infrastructure over a 24-month period are notoriously brutal on asphalt. Furthermore, the Village engineer previously noted that planned traffic signaling improvements at that intersection will require extensive underground electrical work.

Will taxpayers be left holding the bag if this brand-new road is torn up just months after being laid down?

The Village Responds: Who Pays for the Damage?

To get clarity on how local infrastructure is protected, we looked at the official stance from Ridgewood Village Manager Keith Kazmark.

Because Maple Avenue is a county road, Bergen County is the entity responsible for funding and executing the initial paving project. However, local and county laws have strict safeguards in place to protect fresh asphalt from being immediately ruined by developers or utility companies.

Here is how the system protects Ridgewood’s roads:

• The Bergen County Road Opening Moratorium: After a county road is resurfaced, a strict moratorium is placed on the roadway. This legally restricts anyone from digging into the street without severe penalties and strict restoration requirements.

• Curb-to-Curb Accountability: If a developer (like Kensington) or a utility provider is granted permission to make a “road cut” during this moratorium period, they cannot simply patch the hole with a messy asphalt square. The responsible entity is legally obligated to re-pave the street curb-to-curb for the entire impacted area.

What Happens Next?

As of right now, a formal site plan application for the next phases of the Kensington development has not yet been filed. Once that paperwork is submitted, local officials will be able to fully assess any required offsite improvements, traffic signaling upgrades, and underground electrical work.

The Bottom Line: While the intersection of Franklin and North Maple is undoubtedly facing a chaotic couple of years, county regulations ensure that private developers—not Ridgewood taxpayers—will be financially responsible for restoring the roads they disrupt.

Enjoy the smooth ride on Maple Avenue this summer, Village riders—and rest assured that strict local laws are in place to keep it that way!

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