The raised pot holes and rough road on Northfield Avenue will soon be replaced with smooth pavement from Main Street in West Orange to the Route 10 circle in Livingston as county crews continue working on the street during the coming weeks.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. announced the 6.5-mile project at the Codey Arena on Tuesday, June 26. The project began about two weeks ago, and parts of Northfield Avenue in West Orange near the I-280 exit have already been paved. 

The project, which costs $2.5 million, is being done as part of the county’s Roadway Resurfacing Program for 2012 with the goal of modernizing infrastructure and enhancing roadway safety, according to a press release from DiVincenzo’s office. 

“This roadway is in need of repair from one end to the other,” said DiVincenzo on Tuesday afternoon. “ ... This is something that was long overdue, and now it is going to be repaved and it is going to look beautiful, but more importantly it is going to be safe.” 

In addition to laying new pavement, handicap accessible ramps will be added; there will be milling of the old surface off of the road; and manhole and inlet work will be done. 

The roadway project will be accomplished in two phases. The first phase will concentrate on Northfield Avenue in West Orange and then progress toward Northfield Road in Livingston. 

The project is expected to be done in August. Until then, crews will be working at night, between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., Monday through Friday, to complete the project. 

“I use this road all the time,” said Freeholder Patricia Sebold, who was at the press conference on Tuesday and who is a resident of Livingston. “ ... I am thrilled that this road is going to be done ....”

Other county roads being worked on include:

• Livingston Avenue in Livingston from McClellan Avenue to Route 10; 

• Hollywood Avenue in Fairfield from Fairfield Road to Horseneck Road; and 

• Brookside Drive from Glen Avenue to South Orange Avenue in Millburn.  

These additional repairs will cost approximately $1 million, and the all the projects are being done by Smith Sondy Asphalt Construction Company, of Wallington.