Improvements scheduled for pair of roads in Jackson

JACKSON - Two major Ocean County roads running through Jackson will see upgrades in the coming year.

The Ocean County Board of Freeholders is expected to award a $1.1 million contract to C.J. Hesse Inc. of the Belford section of Middletown for the reconstruction and resurfacing of Route 571 from Goetz Lane to Route 528.

The project will also include a small section of Route 571 just west of Anderson Road.

"A lot of trucks use this road and the improvements will include a stronger base and surface that can stand up to the heavier traffic," said Freeholder Director John P. Kelly.

This 1.5-mile stretch of road is the final section of Route 571 to see an upgrade, Kelly said.

"Improvements have been done all the way from Route 70 in Manchester to Route 537 at the Monmouth County border," Kelly said.

A detour will take traffic onto Stump Tavern Road after construction begins later in the summer. A temporary traffic signal will be installed at Stump Tavern Road and Route 528 during the detour, which is expected to be in place for about 10 days.

"Residents and emergency vehicles will have access to homes along Route 571 throughout the construction," Kelly said.

The work, which will also include drainage improvements, is expected to be completed by September.

Kelly said he was pleased that bids for the project were about $250,000 less than what the county had anticipated.

The freeholders are also expected to seek bids for improvements to nearby Route 528 in Jackson. This estimated $2 million project will upgrade the road from Route 571 east to Van Hiseville Road.

Work will include the resurfacing of the entire length of road, the realignment of the Leesville Road intersection and various drainage upgrades.

"Like Route 571, Route 528 has seen a number of improvement projects along its entire length," said Freeholder Deputy Director James F. Lacey. "Running from the Mantoloking Bridge over the Barnegat Bay to New Egypt and the Burlington County border, Route 528 is one of the longest roads in the county."

Lacey said this latest contract should be under way by the spring of 2008.

"Much like the prior work we've done on the road, this project will upgrade the pavement, widen the shoulders and generally improve the safety along the road," he said.