NJDOT improves Route 9 in Freehold Township
Three township projects will improve safety and congestion
(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Kris Kolluri has announced the completion of the final of three safety and operational improvement projects along Route 9 in Freehold Township, Monmouth County.
“NJDOT’s Route 9 corridor projects demonstrate the Department’s commitment to improving our transportation infrastructure and the quality of life for Monmouth County residents and motorists traveling through this area,” said Commissioner Kolluri. “These critical safety and congestion improvements are investments in the future of this vital stretch of Route 9.”
These projects were constructed in accordance with an agreement between Freehold Township officials and NJDOT in order to reduce the high amount of traffic congestion and improve safety along the Route 9 corridor. NJDOT worked closely with Freehold Township and Monmouth County officials, local business owners and residents during the design and construction of these projects to minimize delays and inconvenience during construction.
The Route 9 intersection improvement project at Route 79 and Schank Road was completed on, Friday December 15, 2006. The $12 million project realigned the intersection to the north, improving safety, geometric alignment and facilitating traffic flow. NJDOT constructed two large reverse loop ramps in the northeast and southwest quadrants of the intersection. These ramps accommodate left turns and u-turns from Route 9 northbound and southbound respectively. The ramps were designed so that queued traffic will not obstruct the ramps. The project also created additional lanes and shoulders on Route 9, 79 and Schanck Road. The newly designed intersection will help solve the pre-existing capacity problems by decreasing traffic congestion during peak hours.
The Route 9/Route 79/Schank Road project complements two recent NJDOT safety and operational improvement projects on Route 9. NJDOT completed a $15 million project that replaced the Route 9 Bridge over County Route 522 on August 1, 2006. NJDOT replaced the old, structurally deficient bridge with a two-span steel bridge and improved the geometric alignment and sight distances of the approaching roadway. In addition, NJDOT added an acceleration lane from County Route 522 to Route 9 northbound.
Lastly, the Route 9 and County Route 524 intersection improvements project replaced the forward ramps in each direction on Route 9 with reverse jug-handles for the left turn movement from Route 9 onto County Route 524. NJDOT widened Route 9 to accommodate additional travel lanes in both directions in order to reduce congestion and built additional travel lanes in both directions of County Route 524. The signals at Route 9 and CR-524 and CR-524 and Jackson Mills Road were redesigned to work in accordance with the additional lanes of traffic. This $8 million project was completed in August 2006.
