By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
COLTS NECK – A long-planned project that is expected to improve conditions at a location officials have called the most congested intersection in Monmouth County appears to be moving forward.
On April 13, the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders passed a resolution approving plans and specifications for improvements at the intersection of Route 34 and Route 537 in Colts Neck.
Plans for the reconstruction of a bridge on Route 34 and a bridge on Route 537 were also approved by the freeholders. Each bridge carries its respective road over Mine Brook.
The plans and specifications for the road improvements and bridge work have been approved for public bidding and construction. The resolution does not state when bids will be received by the county.
Plans for improvements at the intersection of Route 34, which is a state highway, and Route 537, which is a county highway, have been discussed for almost 20 years. The upgrades are being made to address safety and congestion concerns, according to the freeholders’ resolution.
The plans and specifications for the work have been prepared by the firm of Greenman-Pedersen Inc. The project has an estimated cost of $20.3 million, with the state expected to fund most of the bill and the county expected to fund the balance.
According to a description of the project posted on the county website, “The intersection of Route 34 and Route 537 services regional and local traffic and is a major access route to state Route 18 which is located south of the intersection. Motorists traveling through this intersection experience delays, especially along Route 537 approaches during peak periods. This project is being undertaken in response to the operational concerns at the intersection and the poor condition of (two bridges) which carry Route 34 and Route 537 over Mine Brook.”
In December 2010, county officials projected that construction would begin in 2013. A press release issued by the county said officials had been asking the state Department of Transportation to schedule the improvements since an Access Management Plan for Route 34 was adopted in 1999. The plan provided for improvements to accommodate future development along the Route 34 and Route 537 corridors in Colts Neck.
