MILLSTONE – Construction of a traffic roundabout in Millstone Township that will replace an intersection which has been an ongoing source of safety concerns is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023.
The roundabout will be constructed at the local intersection known as Scooter Corner, a five-spoke intersection that is not controlled by a traffic signal. Scooter Corner is the meeting point of Stagecoach Road (Route 524), Millstone Road and Paint Island Spring Road.
A roundabout is a traffic calming device. It is smaller than a traffic circle.
Because the Scooter Corner intersection is on a Monmouth County road (Route 524), the roundabout project is under the jurisdiction of Monmouth County officials.
According to Robert Strang-Wolf, a principal engineer with Monmouth County, county officials are in the process of finalizing the project’s construction documents, acquiring the necessary right of way and preparing the construction proposal for the planned roundabout.
The county expects to receive bids for the roundabout’s construction in the fall, according to Strang-Wolf. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023.
All work on the Scooter Corner project is being performed in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA). Those agencies are funding the approximate $3 million construction cost, according to Strang-Wolf.
According to Monmouth County, the intersection has safety and operational concerns, including a crash history and significant delays. The DOT has reported that between 2011 and 2015 there were 21 motor vehicle crashes at Scooter Corner.
The DOT reported that the 21 collisions caused six injuries (no deaths).
County officials have described the intersection as being at a rural location and having unconventional geometry. Each road at Scooter Corner has a different speed limit, according to a previous presentation.
The highest speed limit is 50 mph on Stagecoach Road and the lowest speed limit is 35 mph on Paint Island Spring Road.
North of Stagecoach Road, the speed limit on Millstone Road is 40 mph.
South of Stagecoach Road, the speed limit on Millstone Road is 45 mph.
According to the county, the Scooter Corner roundabout will have five approach legs and a diameter of 190 feet. There will be storm water management basins, road lighting, pavement markings and signs, and handicap ramps. The roundabout will accommodate large vehicles.
Within the past few years, the county has constructed two roundabouts: one roundabout is at the Route 520 entrance to Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, and the second roundabout is in Colts Neck at a location similar to the multi-spoked Scooter Corner intersection in Millstone.
According to county officials, compared to other intersection treatments, a roundabout reduces the number of conflict points and produces a reduction in the severity and number of crashes.
