KS Engineers, P.C. (KSE) provided construction engineering inspection services for the South Orange Avenue traffic operations, roadway safety, drainage, and access improvement project in Millburn and South Orange, New Jersey, for the County of Essex Department of Public Works. KSE was responsible for monitoring construction activities, verifying compliance with contract documents, documenting field progress, coordinating with the County, contractor, utilities, and project stakeholders, and helping ensure that the work was completed in accordance with applicable quality, safety, and schedule requirements. Through proactive field inspection and construction coordination, KSE supported the successful delivery of a complex roadway improvement project located adjacent to one of Essex County’s most valued natural and recreational resources.
The project was designed to improve safety, drainage, mobility, and public access along South Orange Avenue, a heavily traveled corridor serving motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and visitors to the South Mountain Reservation. The corridor’s sharp curves, constrained roadway geometry, limited shoulders, and drainage challenges had contributed to long-standing safety concerns, making this one of the County’s most critical roadway improvement initiatives. The project addressed these issues through a combination of roadway realignment, roadway widening, drainage enhancements, traffic signal modernization, streetscape improvements, and access upgrades.
Major improvements included realigning portions of South Orange Avenue to reduce the severity of existing curves and widening the roadway to provide an eastbound shoulder. Traffic signal equipment was modernized at Brookside Drive/Cherry Lane in Millburn and Glenview Road in South Orange to improve traffic operations and corridor safety. To address flooding and reduce stormwater runoff into the reservation, retention swales were constructed along the roadway, providing both drainage benefits and environmental protection.
The project also included significant safety and aesthetic improvements, including new guide rail, enhanced lighting, traditional overhead cobra-head streetlights, and decorative gas-lamp style fixtures. Access to the South Mountain Reservation was improved through upgraded turnoff and parking areas, better sight lines, and safer entry and exit points for trail users. A new pedestrian bridge was constructed near the Girl Scout Camp, and an existing pedestrian and equine bridge was reconstructed. Both bridges incorporated stone facings to complement the natural character of the reservation.
Environmental restoration was also a major component of the project. More than 3,600 trees and additional landscaping were planted to replace removed trees and restore areas of the South Mountain Reservation affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The project’s successful integration of roadway safety, environmental stewardship, public access, and aesthetic enhancement was recognized with the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey (ACEC NJ) Award for Engineering Excellence.
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