Route 528 will receive upgrades JACKSON - The next phase of improvements to county Route 528 in Jackson should begin before the end of the year. The Ocean County Board of Freeholders will award a $2.53 million contract to Lucas Brothers Inc. of the Morganville section of Marlboro for road and drainage improvements. Construction plans include the reconstruction of a 2.4-mile stretch of Route 528 from Route 571 east to the Van Hiseville intersection, said Freeholder Director John P. Kelly. "Jackson is one of our fastest growing communities," Kelly said. "These improvements will ensure that this important road will remain modern and safe for years to come." The entire project will be paid by state aid money, he said. Included in the contract are wider shoulders, upgraded pavement and the restriping of the Route 528 and Route 571 intersection to include left turn lanes. Extensive drainage work will also be completed, Kelly said. "The combination of wider shoulders and improved drainage will keep water off the road surface and improve driving conditions during wet weather," Kelly said. The county has already completed several improvements along this stretch of road, according to a press release. A bridge was replaced just east of the Route 571 intersection. Improvements were also completed at the Leesville Road and Don Connor Boulevard intersection near Jackson town hall. "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, who is the liaison to the Ocean County Road Department, said this latest project should be completed in about a year. The county typically has about $60 million worth of road projects under way at any given time to ensure New Jersey's largest county road network is safe, modern and well maintained, Lacey said.