rap #157 08/11/10

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS TO BEGIN IN FOUR TOWNS; NEARLY 10 MILES OF ROAD REFLECTORS TO BE ADDED

ROADS IN FOUR municipalities will be reconstructed and resurfaced beginning later this summer.

The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders will award a $1.99 million contract to C.J. Hesse, Inc of Belford for the improvements to:

  • South Hope Chapel Road and Leesville Road, Jackson Township.
  • North Hope Chapel Road, Jackson and Lakewood townships.
  • Butler Boulevard, Berkeley Township.
  • Oak Ridge Parkway, Whitesville Road and Water Street in Toms River Township.
About half of the project's funding will come from the state, said Freeholder John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety.

"Crews should be out there in the next few weeks and the work should be completed in about two months," Kelly said.

Each roadway will be milled 2 inches and resurfaced with 2 inches of fresh pavement.

"With 620 miles of county roads and 259 bridges and culverts, we are constantly monitoring and maintaining our road network," said Freeholder Director James F. Lacey.

The Freeholders will also award an $88,333 contract to Zone Striping, Inc. of Glassboro for the installation of plowable road reflectors directly on the pavement of some county roads.

Lacey said the orange reflectors are framed in metal, which protects them from snowplows and wear from passing traffic.

"These reflectors can make a dramatic difference, especially in bad weather," Lacey said. "This is a relatively inexpensive investment that pays big dividends in keeping both our motorists and pedestrians safe."

The reflectors will be installed along portions of the following roads for a total of 9.54 miles:

  • Bennetts Mills Road, Jackson Township
  • Hope Chapel Road, Lakewood Township
  • West Bay Ave, Barnegat Township
  • North Green Street, Little Egg Township and Tuckerton Borough
  • Brick Boulevard/Beaverson Boulevard Jug handle, Brick Township
  • Central Avenue, Barnegat Light Borough
  • Central Avenue, Surf City Borough
"We're continuing our program of adding these reflectors along both heavily traveled roads and in areas near curves and intersections where visibility is most important," Kelly said.

Earlier this year, the county installed the reflectors along 27 miles of roadway.