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HILLSBOROUGH: Grant to improve River Road mile

   A $300,000 project that will implement a number of safety upgrades throughout a winding mile-long segment of River Road (CR 625) in Hillsborough Township was approved Monday.
   The project was approved by the board of trustees of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority for a grant through the NJTPAs Fiscal Year 2013 High Risk Rural Roads Program, which provides federal funds to counties for high-impact safety improvements that are relatively quick-fix in nature and are ready for construction.
   Improvements will include the application of anti-skid surface treatment, striping, rumble strips and angled road edges that make it easier for vehicles to recover if they drift off the roadway. Painted markings on the road will provide additional visual cues to drivers to reduce their speed ahead of curves.
   River Road is a winding two-lane rural roadway in the area of Duke Farms that has experienced run-off-the-road crashes, skidding and collisions, particularly at points where drivers have navigated turns at high speeds. The project area falls within a segment of the road that exhibited crash rates above state averages, according to 2008-10 data, according to the NJPTA.
   This is the second High Risk Rural Roads grant successfully obtained by Somerset County for Hillsborough. Last year, the NJTPA Board approved $350,000 for improvements to nearby New Center Road.
   ”This project represents another step in our county’s efforts to make the roads safer for visitors and residents in the area of Duke Farms,” said Somerset County Freeholder and NJTPA Secretary Peter S. Palmer. “These are relatively simple improvements that should go a long way in reducing speeding, skidding and off-road crashes on River Road. This program clearly demonstrates how the NJTPA puts federal funds to work on key local projects.”
   In total, the NJTPA will allocate approximately $980,000 for High Risk Rural Road Program projects in FY 2013. The program reflects the regional priorities outlined in Plan 2035, the long-range transportation plan for the NJTPA region. Making travel safer is a key goal of the NJTPA.