Middlesex County is in the process of acquiring properties at a congested Sayreville intersection that many residents know to avoid during rush hour.
The narrow intersection of Ernston Road and Bordentown Avenue, at the border of Old Bridge, has been the site of at least 50 accidents since 2005, according to the Sayreville Police Department. It was the site of 70 accidents between January 1995 and October 1998, according to Birdsall Engineering.
Many accidents occur as the result of poor visibility, as motorists pass other drivers who are waiting to execute left turns with limited space and a high volume of oncoming traffic in their way.S
ayreville recently accepted the county’s offers of $100,000 and $46,000 for two municipal properties located along the roadways, so that the intersection can be widened. However, the county still has more properties to acquire from private landowners, according to Borough Engineer Jay Cornell.
“The project has been ongoing for years,” Cornell said.
Assistant County Engineer Richard Wallner said the proposed improvements to the site will start with the historic Conrail bridge.
“The bridge is very narrow,” Wallner said. “It’s very difficult to get two cars to pass under the bridge simultaneously. The bridge will be replaced and will be substantially wider.”
Under the bridge, and along Ernston Road’s southbound side, is a narrow sidewalk for pedestrians, who are also a safety concern on the single-lane roads.
The county is currently having the new design completed, as it acquires the necessary properties to move forward with the project.
“We’re trying to do this as quickly as we can,” Wallner said.
Birdsall Engineering Inc., hired by the county, is drawing up plans for the final design of the project, which will not only bring a new Conrail bridge but will lower the intersection, thereby increasing the clearance for vehicles going under the bridge from 14 feet to 16 feet, said Robert Strang-Wolf, manager of the highway services division for Birdsall.
He noted that state Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who resides in Sayreville, has been a major proponent of the project.
“I believe his father started it,” Strang-Wolf said. “It’s going to be a good thing for the area.”
The rail line is part of the Camden and Amboy Railroad Line and is considered to be an historic district. The reconstructed line will have a similar appearance to the existing one, whose materials that date back to the early 1900s.
Strang-Wolf said the historical significance of the bridge will be respected in the construction of the new bridge, which will be the first of the overall project’s four stages.
“The first step is to build a new Conrail bridge adjacent to the existing one,” he said. “We are coordinating with the State Historical Preservation Office in the design.”
Traffic is going to be kept on the existing road for as long as possible during the first and second phases, Strang-Wolf said. Then, a detour will be set up for a period of time, while the intersection is lowered, a new traffic light is installed, and utilities are relocated for the road widening.
The entire project will take approximately two years and roughly $10 million to complete, Strang-Wolf said. He noted that the first year alone will be devoted to the installation of the new Conrail bridge and the retaining walls.
“The utility work is very expensive,” Strang-Wolf said.
Wallner referred to the anticipated work at the intersection as a federal aid project, since the county is pursuing federal funding.
“It would compete for federal funds at each stage,” Wallner said. “Right now it’s being designed, and federal funds are being utilized to pay the consultant. They are advancing the design.”
The county is accommodating parties such as the state Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with the project, Wallner said. The DEP will review the project and play a role in the entire process, which Wallner described as collaborative on the part of the various levels of government.
“Conrail is involved,” Wallner said. “They own the bridge we’re replacing. They are on board and they have to review [the plans]. NJ Transit is interested in it. They are on board.”
With the county expected to put the project out to bid this summer, it is now working to acquire the 15 parcels, including municipal, private and Conrailowned properties, needed to widen the intersection, Strang-Wolf said.