HOBOKEN – A portion of Sinatra Drive North in Hoboken, a county road, remains under construction more than eight months after the area between 13th and 14th streets on the waterfront road collapsed. But county spokesperson James Kennelly said the construction is “close to completion.”
An updated target date has not yet been announced. Original estimates called for the road to be open again in May, but officials have said that a blistery winter delayed construction and pushed the completion date forward.
The road collapsed on the afternoon of Oct. 8, 2010, and the subsequent construction caused the restaurant Lua to be shut down by officials in late January, citing fire exit safety concerns. No one was injured in the road collapse. The number for Lua has been disconnected, but management said when they announced their closure that they look forward to a re-grand opening.
Langan Engineering of Elmwood Park completed site analysis after the collapse, and in January, the Hudson County Board of Freeholders voted to approve a $2.1 million contract to Sparwick Contracting, Inc., of Lafayette, for the repair of the road.
Sinatra Drive North was originally built on wood pilings, but through the recent construction, those have been replaced by concrete pilings which are less susceptible to damage by the wood-eating sea creatures teredos navalis , more commonly referred to as shipworms, and the regular wear-and-tear that officials believe have weakened the old wooden pilings causing the road to collapse.
“All of the underwater work has long since been completed,” Kennelly said on Friday. “Now, they’re completing the deck work to bring the road back online.”
The county is expected to announce a new target date, but the road remains closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. — Ray Smith
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