Completion date for light moved up.
By: Leon Tovey
JAMESBURG The Middlesex County engineer’s office says a traffic signal could be installed at the intersection of Lincoln, East and West Railroad and Gatzmer avenues a year earlier than previously thought, according to borough officials.
Borough Engineer Alan Dittenhoffer told the Borough Council Wednesday that his office had received a new timeline for the project from the county engineer this week that gave September 2006 as a tentative date of completion for the project.
Mayor Tony LaMantia called the date "very tentative," adding that he and Mr. Dittenhoffer would meet Nov. 17 with the county supervising engineer, Ken Preteroti, to discuss the new timeline and details of the project.
The mayor said he took the 2006 date with a grain of salt, noting that the county had originally given 2002 as the date of completion for the recently completed signal at the intersection of Perrineville Road and Forsgate Drive across from Borough Hall.
Mr. Preteroti in September gave mid-to-late 2007 as a conservative date of completion for a signal at the intersection, which borough officials have been discussing for the past two-and-a-half years.
In 2002, the Borough Council entered into a cost-sharing agreement with the county, with the stipulation that the borough’s contribution cannot exceed more than $50,000.
Under the cost-sharing agreement, the borough would be responsible for covering any costs for land acquisition needed for the project and would pick up 16 percent of the construction costs.
The county would cover engineering costs related to the project as well as 84 percent of the overall construction tab.