Drivers passing the Livingston Mall will now navigate a roundabout instead of stop signs at West Hobart Gap Road and Walnut Street, after Essex County completed a $1.4 million safety overhaul at one of the township's busiest intersections.

County officials announced Wednesday, Aug. 12, that the three-legged intersection, which handles nearly 15,000 vehicles a day, had a documented history of chronic congestion, lengthy backups and frequent rear-end collisions under its old stop-sign configuration.

The crossing sits at the entrance to the Livingston Mall and a community bus park-and-ride lot, making it a daily pinch point for commuters and shoppers alike.

All traffic now flows in a single circular lane around a central island. The county said the design improves driver visibility and keeps vehicles moving at lower, steadier speeds.

Bundled with the roundabout are new pedestrian crosswalks, bicycle-accessible ramps, roadway lighting, advanced warning signs and pavement markings. A reduced speed limit is also in effect.

No local tax dollars funded the construction.

The project was covered entirely by a federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grant, administered through the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and the New Jersey Department of Transportation's Local Safety Program.

JA Alexander Inc. of Bloomfield won the publicly bid construction contract at $1,147,967. OMSUM Engineering of Piscataway received $254,991 for construction inspection. Urban Engineers of Mt. Laurel designed the improvements.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said the intersection's heavy traffic stems from its proximity to a commuter parking lot and connections to other major roadways. He said the single-lane circular design will improve conditions for both motorists and pedestrians, and thanked Livingston municipal officials for helping complete the project.

Essex County Commissioner Len Luciano was also named as a supporter of the project.

Livingston Councilman Michael Vieira, who recalled witnessing a crash at the intersection during a public hearing on the project, said many collisions there went unreported.

"People really didn't realize this intersection was unsafe because there were a lot of unreported fender benders," Vieira said. "This was much needed."