OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County Freeholders moved several road projects forward in several different locations.
An ordinance was introduced that would pay for the reconstruction and resurfacing of certain county roads. The roads include:
Little Egg Harbor: 1 mile of Mathistown Road, from Route 9 to Mystic Shores Boulevard.
Long Beach Township: 2 miles of Long Beach Boulevard in the Loveladies section.
Tuckerton: .63 miles of Great Bay Boulevard from Route 9 to Oak Lane.
Jackson: 2.6 miles of Route 571 from Lakehurst Avenue West to Anthony Way.
Jackson: 1.15 miles of Route 571 from Benz Lane to Route 528.
The project would cost $3 million, and would be paid for through bonds that would take 20 years to pay off.
“The county has 623 miles of roads and we look at them all on an annual basis,” county engineer John Ernst said. Once it is determined that roadwork needs to be done, the county then determines whether the project can be done in-house by the county road department of if it has to go to contractors.
The freeholders also awarded a bit to Earle Asphalt Company for various road reconstruction and resurfacing projects. This was part of a 2016 contract, in the amount of $2,735,413.13. The roads improved are as follows:
Toms River: 1.8 miles of Church Road from Route 9 to North Bay.
Toms River: 1.4 miles of Fischer Boulevard from Bay Avenue to Shore Boulevard.
Toms River: 1 mile of Cox Cro Road from Route 9 to Whitesville Road.
Toms River/Manchester: 1.2 miles of Whitesville Road/Ridgeway Road, from Commonwealth Boulevard to Leawood Avenue.
Beachwood: .7 miles of Compass/Club House/Bayside avenues, from Beachwood Boulevard to Harpoon Street.
In yet another project, the county will be acquiring a portion of roadway near the intersection of Lacey Road and Manchester Avenue in Lacey Township. This, the engineer said, was to widen the jughandle.