Drivers getting around the northwest Bronx will have to pack plenty of patience for the interim as the city partially closed off a key roadway in Norwood.

Crews working for the city Department of Environmental Protection have placed barricades on the northbound side of Bainbridge Avenue, between the tip of Jerome Avenue (at the intersection of Bainbridge Avenue) and East Gun Hill Road, in the first week of May. This compounds the already hectic morning and evening rush for drivers and buses, adding minutes to the commute. The intersection is a nexus of travel for those going to Montefiore Health System, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement, and other neighborhood institutions.

The impacted area has caused major backups from all points of East Gun Hill Road and Bainbridge Avenue, with drivers on the southbound side of Bainbridge Avenue having to wait 15 minutes to drive from Jerome Avenue at Bainbridge Avenue to East 211th Street.

According to the city Department of Design and Construction’s (DDC) online projects map, the project involves the installation of a trunk main on Bainbridge Avenue. It’s part of a $45 million project to replace century-old sewer pipes around the neighborhood. EIC Associates, a New Jersey-based contractor, was chosen for the contract that was executed in 2015. The firm has done prior work around the city including work at the new World Trade Center. Bainbridge Avenue’s estimated completion date is projected at June of 2019. The traffic tie-ups will last until the end of July this year.

Editor’s Note: Residents with any complaints or concerns are asked to contact Yoshabelle Desulme, the DDC’s Community Construction Liaison, at bainbridgeprojectccl@gmail.com or call (718) 644-2065.