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Road Projects On Tap For Route 571 And Commonwealth Boulevard
OCEAN COUNTY - Route 571 and Commonwealth Boulevard in Manchester Township is one of three new road improvement projects slated to begin this spring and summer.
The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders will seek bids for the estimated $300,000 contract that will add a left turn lane to Route 571 at the intersection.
"We already have four travel lanes along Route 571 where it meets Commonwealth Boulevard," explained Freeholder John P. Kelly. "This work will add a fifth lane that will allow for left turns from either direction on Route 571."
The traffic signal at the intersection will also be adjusted to work with the turn lane, said Kelly, who is also liaison to the Ocean County engineer's office. Work is expected to begin this summer and be completed by the end of the year.
Intersection improvements are also on tap for six intersections along Mule Road in Berkeley Township.
The freeholders are expected to award a $314,708 contract to Solar-Mite Electrical Contractors, Inc. of Fords that will upgrade all the Mule Road traffic signals between Plaza Drive and Davenport Road. All of the intersections except Davenport Road will soon have left-turn only green and red arrows, said Freeholder James F. Lacey.
"Today, drivers can turn left on a green light if no traffic is coming the other way," Lacey said. "When the upgrades are complete, left turns will be allowed only on a green turn arrow. A red arrow will prevent left turns."
The change should reduce the number of accidents at the intersections, he said. The traffic signal upgrades should be in place by the end of the year and the entire cost is funded by the federal government. Lacey said the county will place electronic message boards along Mule Road notifying motorists of the traffic pattern change.
The Davenport Road intersection, where most of the southbound Mule Road traffic turns left instead of continuing to the Mule Road dead end, will not have a left turn only arrow.
"There's really no need for it," said Ocean
County Engineer Ronald A. Lotrecchio. "There's much less opposing traffic at this
intersection." Like the other five intersections, the Davenport Road signal will be upgraded with a battery backup to be used if the electrical power fails.
Work is also set to begin in the spring on the reconstruction of Beach Avenue between 18th Street and MacEvoy Lane in Long Beach Township.
This is the second phase of improvements to Beach Avenue and the work should be completed by the middle of June, Kelly said.
P&A Construction of Colonia will be paid $1.14 million for the work.
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