Upcoming Improvement Projects to Make 11 County Roads 'Safer'

The county will be embarking on improvement projects for 11 county roads in the upcoming weeks.

“As part of our annual overlay program, we will be starting work shortly on safety improvements including stormwater drainage work, new paving and reconstruction on several roads throughout Ocean County,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety.

More than 13 miles of roadway will be repaired when complete, he said.

The Board of Freeholders will be awards a contract to Earle Asphalt Company, which is based out of Farmingdale, in the amount of $2 million to reconstruct portions of seven roadways.

“This work will get under way in the next few weeks and while there may be some inconvenience to motorists during the work surely the completed repairs will make for better and safer traveling around Ocean County, said Freeholder Deputy Director James F. Lacey, liaison to the Ocean County Road Department.

The county maintains more than 620 county road miles, making it imperative to maintain the infrastructure, said Kelly, who also serves as the liaison for the Ocean County Engineering Department.

“Each year we perform improvements to a number of roadways. Well maintained roads certainly are safer for our motorists and pedestrians,” he said.

The roads to be improved under the contract include:

• 1.05 miles of Herbertsville Road in Brick Township from the Monmouth County line to Lanes Mills Road
• 1.24 miles of Farraday Avenue in Lakewood
• One mile of Long Beach Boulevard from 31st to 59th street in Long Beach Township
• Nearly one mile of James Street from Main Street to Hooper Avenue in Toms River
• 0.6 miles of Massachusetts Avenue from Cox Cro Road to Route 70 in Toms River
• 1.12 miles of Vermont Avenue in Toms River from Cox Cro Road to the Lakewood border
• Buckwald Drive at Ocean County College in Toms River

The board is also scheduled to go out to bid to provide safety improvements to four additional roads with work expected to begin in July:

• 2.16 miles of Church Road in Toms River from Hooper Avenue to North Bay Avenue
• 1.39 miles of Lanes Mills Road in Lakewood and Brick Townships from Route 88 to limits of Garden State Parkway Interchange 91
• 1.11 miles of Lighthouse Drive in Ocean Township from Route 9 east to Barnegat Bay
• 2.34 miles of West Bay Avenue in Barnegat Township from Pine Street to Route 72