ROBBINSVILLE: Collision site to get traffic signal

By Joanne Degnan, Staff Writer
   ROBBINSVILLE — A four-way intersection at Route 526 and Pond Road, which has been the bane of white-knuckled motorists for more than a decade, will be getting a traffic signal later this year, township and county officials said Tuesday.
   The intersection has been the scene of 12 collisions that have injured eight people since 2006, including a motorcyclist who was struck by a car last October when he attempted to cross the county highway to get from Pond Road to Beechwood Drive. Crashes have continued to occur there despite the realignment of the intersection a few years ago to help reduce blind spots.
   ”The signal will improve safety for drivers and for schoolchildren,” said Mayor Dave Fried said in a statement. School buses travel through the intersection to reach both Pond Road Middle School and Robbinsville High School.
   Under the agreement announced by Mayor Fried and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, the township will purchase the traffic signal and pay for the installation of the underground wiring. County road department workers will install the signal itself and the county will be responsible for future maintenance.
   Route 526, also known locally as Robbinsville-Edinburg Road, is a county highway, while Pond Road and Beechwood Drive are both township roads.
   Township Engineer Tim McGough said a rough cost estimate for the signal and equipment would be $60,000 and $75,000. The underground wiring work is expected to cost the township about $14,000, he said.
   The Township Council is set to vote on the agreement at tonight’s (Jan. 27) meeting, Mr. McGough said. The Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders then must approve the agreement so that the mayor and county executive can sign it and construction can begin, weather permitting.
   Mayor Fried said that if all goes well, “sometime in late spring we should be able to have a ribbon-cutting for the new intersection and turn on the lights.”
   In past years, the county rejected the township’s requests for a signal at the intersection, but approval was obtained this year after another review of traffic counts and crash data, Mr. McGough said. The fact that the township is in the process of installing sidewalks and a crosswalk in front of the high school on Route 526 also factored into the county’s decision.
   ”We have been trying to get this traffic light built for years,” said Councilwoman Chris Ciaccio on Tuesday. “I feel so glad that we are finally getting this done.”