PHOTOS: Main Street in Woodbridge closed at night this week for big melt
Snow melter on Main Street on Wednesday evening. Staff photo: Sergio Bichao
WOODBRIDGE, NJ -- Township police have been shutting Main Street in downtown Woodbridge during the evenings this week so that a public works crew could melt all that snow from last week's storm.
The township this week bought a $204,000 snow melter. In the meantime, public works has been using a melter on loan to get rid of the ice piles on Main and at the Community Center parking lot.
Public works employees gather snow for the melter. Staff photo: Sergio Bichao
The street was closed to traffic (but not pedestrians) Wednesday at about 7:30 -- the last night of the melt.
Despite the big-bucks technology, it still takes a good deal of man power and drudgery to get the job done.
Workers shoveled remaining snow piles into a larger mound. A large loader helped collect the snow while a smaller loader scooped the snow and dropped it into the melter.
The loader heats the snow to 120 degrees and releases the water into the street at 72 degrees. The melter traps debris so that storm drains don't clog, public works director Dennis Henry said.
A loader drops Main Street snow into the snow melter. Staff photo: Sergio Bichao
Not everyone thinks the melter was a wise purchase. Councilman Robert Luban of Colonia called it "an expensive toy."
Tell us what you think.
dpinkowitz, 
slyfox1961, and 
tomm are discussing.
Tom Maras 11:03 am on January 6, 2011 Permalink
Subject: Snow Melter or Snow Job, Updated
At the Tuesday, January 4, 2011, town council meeting, Resolution # 9,” Bid- Raritan Valley Truck Sales for Snow Melter with trailer – $239,769.00 & $203,855.00 on demo model” was passed. This equates to $443,624.00, if two (2) are purchased. It is uncertain if the demo has been purchased on a competitive bid basis.
As a short aside, the competitive bid processs is the process by which suppliers compete and the lowest cost, acceptable bidder gets the purchase order or contract! Wish we saw more of that practice in Woodbridge Township.
While the town council was conducting its agenda for the evening, township employees were apparently trying one of the snow melters on Main St, from approximately Fulton St. to Amboy Ave. While the exact start and complete time for the exercise is unknown to this writer, the activity appeared to take at least three (3) hours. ( This was the second night of a three night planned operation) During that time, Main St. and the side roads between Fulton St. and Amboy Ave. were blocked by at least 4 to 6 squad cars and a number of township vehicle. One can only imagine how enthralled the Main St. restaurants and merchants were with the street closing. Undoubtedly, there must have also been a lot of happy drivers that were being detoured around Main St.
Despite stopping at the Reo Diner for a cup of coffee, I did not go around the corner to actually see what was happening on Main Street. Accordingly, I cannot state if any Middlesex County vehicles (remember, Main St. is a county road) were part of the snow removal. Perhaps, since the town council has decided to meet every other Tuesday (no, they are not cutting their pay because of the halved meeting schedule), someone in the administration might be able to state, by the next meeting, what the cost of the equipment, police and workers were on each of the three (3) evening.
Please keep in mind that it was a week since the snowstorm. During that time, much of the snow on Main St. was either removed or just melted away. How long would the operation have taken, had not most of the snow been gone?
At a cost of almost $450,000.00, if both are purchased, are these melters and their related support costs an efficient use of taxpayers’ monies? How many storms will Woodbridge get where these melters can be utilized, and when they are, will they be more efficient than snowplows or pay loaders?
The DEP (or EPA) required Woodbridge Township to install special manhole/sewer drain covers to protect the sewerage system from leaves and other debris. The township claims the snow melters trap debris. Okay, but what does it do with it and how often and for how long does the machine have to be stopped to be cleared of the debris? Once the debris is removed, is yet another vehicle required to cart the debris to a dumpsite?
While Newark and New York City may have justification for melters, what is Mayor McCormac justification for spending over $200,000.00 for even one machine? Perhaps, Councilman Luban’s comment about it being “an expensive toy” speaks volumes. Does Mayor McCormac need to keep up with the big boys! If so, I hope he’ll try Toys R Us, and not charge them to the taxpayers.
If the goal of this administration is to reduce taxes, or at least contain them, they have a very peculiar why of doing it. With another 6 to 7 inches of snow being predicated for this coming Friday and Saturday, let’s hope we don’t get another snow job from One Main Street.
Tom Maras
Fords, NJ
slyfox1961 11:28 am on January 6, 2011 Permalink
What a waste of money. They could move the snow from the parking decks to the parking lot with small landscaper type “bobcat” loaders and then use a large front end loader to load the dump trucks. Luban is right, it is an expensive toy that we did not need. What is the town going to do when they deplete the remaining $300k from this years snow budget? This toy cost $200k. And I believe they purchased two of them, one was a demo, so they got a reduced price.
David Pinkowitz 9:50 pm on January 6, 2011 Permalink
I would be curious to know how many snow piles the township carted away each year to justify this expense. I just hope it doesn’t prove to be a big waste of money like one bought in DC. http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/DC-Snow-Melter-Goes-Cold-86056637.html