After a five-month closure, the northern blocks of Broad Street in downtown Red Bank were reopened to vehicular traffic this week.

As agreed by the borough council November 4, the pandemic-inspired in-street shopping and dining plaza known as ‘Broadwalk’ went on winter hiatus Tuesday.

Officials said clearing the pedestrian thoroughfare after a snowfall would be impractical, requiring repeated movements of concrete barriers used to block traffic at Front Street and at White Street.

Though it bombed on Monmouth Street, the plaza concept drew large numbers of diners to restaurants on northern Broad, Wallace, White and Front streets  throughout the summer and autumn, and is expected to be proposed again in 2021.

In the meantime, restaurants that embraced the use of parking stalls in front of their businesses as “streateries” may continue to do so, provided they clear the areas after a snowfall, council members said.

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