Why Palisades Park's Streets Get Patched This Winter and Paved Later

At the end of each workday, PSE&G crews in Palisades Park backfill their trenches with temporary asphalt and secure steel plates over them, and the work moves block by block. According to the Borough of Palisades Park, PSE&G expected to start replacing aging underground gas pipes the week of November 2, 2026. Crews typically work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekend work is possible.

The rough, patched surface that follows is a planned stage of the work. A trench filled in November is not ready for final pavement in November. The borough planned around that when it moved its own Commercial Avenue repaving to spring. Once you know the order the work happens in, it's easier to read what you'll see on your block between now and then.

The order is fixed: pipe, service, patch, settle, pave

PSE&G's kick-off letter to the borough says the work moves block by block. The utility's phases-of-work page lays out what happens on each street, in this order:

1. New main goes in. Crews dig in the street and lay new pipe, and the trench is backfilled with temporary asphalt and plated at the end of each day.
2. Services get connected. A technician comes to each home or business to tie the service line and meter into the new main.
3. Openings get patched. Grass gets reseeded, and openings in sidewalks, driveways and asphalt are patched until final restoration is scheduled.
4. The ground settles. PSE&G says temporary pavement stays until the project is done and the ground settles, which "generally takes 45 to 90 days."
5. Permanent paving. After that, PSE&G repaves to town and county standards and gives notice when that paving is scheduled.

Step four is the one that sets the calendar. Count 45 to 90 days from a November trench and you land somewhere between late December and February. PSE&G also says final restoration can take longer because of weather, the time of year or a request from the town. A street dug up this month will most likely carry its patch into the new year. That is the normal schedule.

Commercial Avenue shows the same timing

The borough's own road work follows the same rule. At the September 29, 2026 council meeting, a council member asked why the council was approving an engineering payment when no work had been done on Commercial Avenue. The answer, recorded in the meeting minutes, was that the project had been "postponed until spring to allow PSE&G to complete gas work and the roadway to settle."

The borough's bid notice covers Commercial Avenue from its southern end to West Central Boulevard. The work includes milling and paving, asphalt and full-depth concrete pavement repair, new curbs and curb repair, sidewalk repair, tree removal, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and fresh striping and markings.

The minutes put the project at about $279,000. Of that, $58,000 comes from Community Development Block Grant funds and the rest from a bond ordinance adopted last year. Colliers Engineering's fees are capped at $28,500. Paving over a street that is still settling, or that a gas crew still has to open, would put that work at risk.

The contract leaves no slack. The work must be finished within 45 calendar days of the Notice to Proceed. That is also the shortest settling period PSE&G gives for its own trenches. The full rebuild of a borough street, curbs and ramps included, takes about as long as fresh fill takes to settle at minimum. With work that fast, starting on top of soft ground makes no sense.

Why the old pipe comes out at all

PSE&G's explanation, published in August 2026, is that older cast-iron and unprotected-steel mains can be more than 100 years old and are more likely to corrode, crack and leak. The utility says replacing them with newer materials improves safety, reliability and resiliency. Replacing a main means opening the street, so every block on the route goes through the same patch-and-settle cycle.

The part that happens inside your house

Once the new main is in front of your building, PSE&G schedules an appointment to connect your service line and meter to it. Indoor meters are moved outside, and the technician talks with you about where the new meter goes. Small openings may be needed on your property or in the street. PSE&G's FAQ says moving meters outdoors makes them easier to read, inspect and maintain, and easier to reach in an emergency.

Plan for the gas to be off for up to four hours during that visit. The borough's notice says 2 to 4 hours, and the technician reconnects and relights your appliances before leaving. If you rent and need your landlord's OK before PSE&G can get in, tell PSE&G when you book the appointment.

Contacts from the borough's notice and PSE&G's FAQ:

• Project hotline: 1-833-661-6100
• Project information: pseg.com/GasWork
• Email questions: [email protected]
• If you smell gas: leave the area, then call 911 or PSE&G at 1-800-880-7734

Parking while your block is plated

Watch for the signs. "No Parking" signs go up on each street 24 to 48 hours before work starts. PSE&G works with local police to keep local access open, but expect traffic changes, noise and heavy equipment while your block is being dug.

The new municipal lot at 12 Bellview Place, near Broad Avenue, gives you a nearby fallback, and it has EV charging stations. Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim's October 2026 newsletter says the Borough Council extended free parking after 6 p.m. through December 31, 2026. That covers the weeks when gas work and holiday errands on Broad Avenue overlap.

Before 6 p.m., you pay at the meter with quarters, by inserting or tapping a credit card, or by tapping your phone. You can also skip the meter by scanning its QR code or texting EZPARKPP to 44989 for a payment link, according to the borough's 2026 parking payment guide. There is no app to download for now. The borough says ParkMobile integration is coming.

Questions about the gas work go to the PSE&G project hotline. The same September minutes say the borough has started beta testing a mobile app for reporting potholes, sidewalk problems and broken lights. It will be built into the borough website, and residents will verify with an email address.

When a fresh patch shows up on your street this winter, it's waiting out its 45 to 90 days. At Ridgeco Properties, we follow Palisades Park block by block, construction calendars included. If you're thinking about selling once the permanent paving is down, get your free home valuation and we'll show you what your property is worth today.