Monmouth County Awarded $714K in Road Safety Grants

Funding for projects in Middletown, Millstone and Upper Freehold

Freeholder Director Tom Arone

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone announced this afternoon that Monmouth County has been awarded $714,000 in federal funds to make safety improvements on County roads in Middletown, Millstone and Upper Freehold.

The improvements will be completed as part of two separate projects:

Upgraded traffic signals, installation of dedicated left turn lanes, pedestrian countdown signals and highly visible crosswalks at the intersection of Leonardville Road (CR 516) and East Road in Middletown, $339,000
Application of high friction surface treatment, safety edging (to minimize vertical drop-off and allow motorists to safely reenter the paved road) and signage to warn of curves along Stagecoach Road (CR 524) from Cherry Lane in Millstone to the intersection with Chambers Road and Roosevelt Road in Upper Freehold, $375,000.

The projects are among 17 throughout the region that the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Board of Trustees approved at its Jan. 11 meeting. The intersection improvements in Middletown are part of the NJTPA’s Local Safety Program, which provides federal funds to counties for high-impact, “quick-fix” and cost-effective safety improvements. The Stagecoach Road (CR 524) project is part of the NJTPA’s High Risk Rural Roads Program.

“The High Risk Rural Roads grant will let us make further safety improvements to a roadway that has seen several crashes, helping us to prevent injuries and save lives,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone, a NJTPA trustee. “The intersection improvements in Middletown are equally important and will improve pedestrian and motorist safety at a high-volume crossing in a residential neighborhood.”

The High Risk Rural Roads Program funding will also allow Monmouth County to build on its efforts to improve safety along Stagecoach Road (CR 524). The NJTPA Board previously approved a $225,000 grant in 2014 for safety upgrades along a winding stretch of the roadway in Millstone. That project included resurfacing, adjusting the roadway elevations at sharp curves, brush clearing, drainage improvements, and the installation of reflectors, signage and high visibility striping.

In addition to the surface treatment and safety edging, the latest grant will also fund lighting at intersections and safety striping.