by Joseph Sapia
MIDDLETOWN – Motorists and pedestrians can expect to see improvements at the Belford intersection of Leonardville Road and East Road in 2017.
The traffic signal will be upgraded to provide push-button controls for pedestrians, as well as a visual and sound system to count down seconds before the light changes. Also, left-turn travel lanes on Leonardville Road (also known as County Road 516) will be added, said County Engineer Joseph M. Ettore.
The project is being funded via a $339,000 grant from the federal Department of Transportation “Local Safety Program.” The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority awarded the grant to Monmouth County on Jan. 11.
The Local Safety Program identifies what would qualify as “quick fixes for high-priority safety improvements,” Ettore said. The state Department of Transportation identifies roadways that should qualify for the grant and the county further evaluates them.
“The (current) traffic signal equipment is antiquated and in excess of 30 years old and has no provision (on the signal) for pedestrian improvements,” said Ettore, explaining such improvements as the push-button system.
“We tried to make improvements that we could,” Ettore said. The county, for example, painted wide (24-inch) crosswalk striping to provide more visibility, Ettore said. “It’s what we call a high-visibility crosswalk.”
KinderCare at Middletown and Bayview Elementary School are located on or close to the intersection.
The project is now in the design phase, with this work to be done by the NJTPA, Ettore said.
By the end of 2016, the county should be able to solicit bids for the project and award a contract early next year, Ettore said. Construction is projected to start in the spring of 2017 and take an estimated three to four months, Ettore said.
