By David Kilby, Special Writer
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — State and county representatives came before the council this month to explain the most recent designs for the planned improvements of Route 206 intersections at Juliustown Road and county Route 537.
The plans call for new turning signals and turning lanes at the Route 537 intersection, but a much-desired traffic light at Juliustown Road still hasn’t made its way into the plans.
Mark Dietrich, project manager for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, gave a presentation on the most recent developments of the plans for the intersections at the Springfield Township Council meeting Dec. 12.
He said the DOT looked at the project six years ago, but recently took another look at the project to come up with an alternative scheme.
The new design for the intersection is designed to increase safety and save money, but the council and some residents still have concerns about how safe the new flow of traffic will really be.
Mr. Dietrich said the project cost has decreased from $4.5 million six years ago to between $1.6 and $1.8 million, adding that money for the new design will be available, hopefully, by the end of the year.
”I’m going to try to fight for construction money over the next few years,” he said, adding that, in the meantime, he’ll generate comments from residents.
Councilman David Frank said the addition of left turning lanes will make for nice movement through the Route 537 intersection and allow for fewer cars to back up behind cars that are turning left.
The Juliustown Road intersection will have a left turning lane for those getting on Route 206 northbound, and Mr. Frank suggested including a mountable grassed island between that turn lane and the straight lane, which he believed would help farm equipment crossing the busy state highway.
He also recommended a red arrow turn signal to increase the safety of cars turning left and oncoming traffic at the Route 537 intersection.
”If there is a car waiting to turn, you can’t see through it to the oncoming traffic,” he said.
The plans for the intersection provide for three lanes; an only left lane, an only straight lane and an only right lane.
”It would be great if you could informally or formally tell me the improvements you would like,” Mr. Dietrich said.
”We want to facilitate your efforts to make improvements out there,” Mayor Denis McDaniel said. “Anything we can do to help, we’ll do.”
Mr. Dietrich said the design should be ready in four months, adding the money is there — it just has to be transferred to the project.
Mr. Dietrich said the Federal Highway Administration “could put a wrench in the project” because it is now monitoring every highway project in the country.
”This is one of the conversations we’re gonna have to have,” he said.
However, at least one resident already is giving his own criticisms of the project. Ken Lawrence, of Juliustown Road, was emphatic about there being no traffic light at his road’s intersection in the plans.
Mr. Lawrence said he did not like the idea of going north on Route 206, then making a sharp left turn to get on Route 206 southbound, which is what the plans would implement. He added many people would be faced with the same inconvenience.
Mr. Lawrence said he preferred a traffic light that allows drivers to turn left from Juliustown Road onto Route 206 southbound.
Martin Livingston, traffic engineer for Burlington County, said a traffic light at Juliustown Road and Route 206 would be too close to the intersection light at Route 537 and Route 206, saying the standards of the DOT prohibit traffic signals at that close a distance.
Mr. Frank said Springfield has tried to get a traffic light at Juliustown Road and Route 206, but has not succeeded.
Mr. Lawrence emphasized people have died at this intersection, adding, “I think we need to go into this kicking and screaming.”
”The big concern is the stacking between two signals,” Mr. Livingston said. “You need to make sure you have storage between the two intersections.”
”It doesn’t look like there’s going to be a second light there,” Mayor McDaniel said. “So are the current plans better than what we have?”

