The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has awarded a contract to Lucas Brothers Inc., Morganville, to undertake a major road improvement project in Upper Freehold Township.
During a meeting on Oct. 10, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and freeholders Lillian Burry, Susan Kiley, Gerry Scharfenberger and Patrick Impreveduto voted to award an $18.52 million contract to Lucas Brothers for road improvements on county Route 539A (Sharon Station Road) from Route 539 (Allentown-Davis Station Road) to Route 526 (Allentown-Red Valley Road) in Upper Freehold.
The project will also result in the reconstruction of bridges U-34, U-35 and U-94, also in Upper Freehold.
“Through an agreement with Upper Freehold Township, the county has acquired Sharon Station Road (Route 539A) from Route 539 to Route 526 in order to complete this road improvement project. This project aims to improve the operational safety of Sharon Station Road through the construction of a boulevard-style road for the 1.5-mile corridor,” Arnone told the Examiner.
He said that in addition to the creation of the boulevard-style road, the road improvements will include an upgraded traffic signal at the intersection with Route 526; a roundabout at the intersection with Route 539; and the replacement of three existing county bridges over Doctors Creek and its tributaries.
Arnone said construction on the Sharon Station Road project should begin by the end of 2019 and is anticipated to take two years.
Bids for the project were advertised for and received by the Division of Purchasing on Sept. 25. Monmouth County Engineer Joseph Ettore reported that 10 bids were received and he said the bids were about 8% above the engineer’s estimate.
Ettore said Lucas Brothers’ low bid proposal was “reasonable and balanced” and he recommended awarding the contract to the company. The freeholders subsequently awarded the contract to Lucas Brothers.
In a related matter, the freeholders authorized the payment of additional funds to acquire land at 22 Sharon Station Road, known as the Kenneth Giovanelli property. The acquisition of the parcel, which the freeholders said was needed for the road improvements, was completed through eminent domain.
A resolution that was passed by the freeholders on Feb. 19 authorized the acquisition of the Giovanelli property at a cost of $48,400.
On Aug. 28, the parties involved in the eminent domain action attended a commissioner’s hearing regarding the matter. Giovanelli was subsequently awarded $70,000 for the property.
The resolution that was passed by the freeholders on Oct. 10 authorized the payment of the additional $21,600 for the parcel on Sharon Station Road.
