A deadly 25 mile stretch of Route 539 that serves as a direct corridor to Trenton through seven Ocean County municipalities will undergo major safety improvements next spring, according to Ocean County officials.

Head-on crash, Route 539 (Manchester PD)
Head-on crash, Route 539 (Manchester PD)
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The Ocean Board of Chosen Freeholders will open bidding on the federally funded $3.4 million project, which includes portions of Route 539 in Little Egg Harbor, Stafford, Barnegat, Lacey, Manchester, Jackson, and Plumsted Townships, during its August 5 meeting.

Improvements include the installation of centerline rumble strips, all-weather reflective striping, new raised pavement markers, and new upgraded signage.

Ocean County Engineer Frank S. Scarantino detailed a high friction treatment surface that will be used as well as warning signs that will go up at six curves in the highway designed to get motorists to slow down.

Overturned dump truck, Route 539 (Manchester PD)
Overturned dump truck, Route 539 (Manchester PD)
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"They're Chevron signs, but they're kind of special. They're solar-powered and LED lighted. It's go a radar system that detects the vehicle coming, so they're not just flashing all the time. When it senses a vehicle coming, the batteries will allow it to fire up and it goes into a sequential pattern," explained Scarantino.

Freeholder John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety, pointed out that many of the deaths on Route 539 are due to people speeding. He also noted that even with the planned improvements, "The roadway is only as safe as the driver who uses it." Some of the other signage being installed will include warnings that the highway is radar-patrolled, according to Kelly.

"This is a high-death corridor and something we've taken very serious for a lof years," said Kelly. He noted that the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office is looking at Route 539 as well and will coordinate with the Freeholder Board on a public safety course in the coming months.

"We had looked at the data and gone to the Federal Highway Administration. They agreed that the road needed some safety enhancements, and that's why this project is fully, federally funded with the High Risk Rural Road program," added Scarantino.

 

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