Turnpike sound barrier will be extended at Rt. 18

By JEREMY GROSSMAN
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — A sound wall being built in the vicinity of Route 18 and New Jersey Turnpike Interchange 9 will be extended 625 feet.

At a July 28 meeting, the Township Council approved the extension as part of an agreement with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), bringing the 1,250- foot-long, 12-foot-high noise barrier to a total of 1,875 feet in length. The sound wall borders the Lawrence Brook Manor neighborhood.

Under the agreement between the township and NJTA, the total construction cost of the noise barrier and the extension is $1,075,000. The township will pay to compensate the authority for any cost differential.

There is currently no start date for construction of the barrier, but the project is expected to be completed by the spring, according to the NJTA.

Plans for the sound wall — amended earlier this year — came after residents of Lawrence Brook Manor voiced concerns about plans to reconstruct Interchange 9 near Route 18.

The reconstruction plans, which were designed to ease the flow of traffic through the area, included deforestation of a wooded strip of land that acted as a noise barrier and privacy screen, shielding Westons Mill Road from Route 18.

With the wooded strip of land removed, residents came out to demand the construction of a noise barrier.

“The residents came out and were less than enthusiastic with what the turnpike was doing, and the mayor and council responded to their concerns by insisting that the sound wall be constructed when none was planned before,” Township Administrator James White said in an interview on July 29. “To me, it shows that resident participation still works.”

The sound wall is still in the design stage, and the township will not pay $200,000 until the project is completed.

Mayor David Stahl said that although the sound wall is expected to be finished in the spring, the entire turnpike reconstruction project is still a little behind schedule.

“They’re still working diligently around the clock,” Stahl said. “In addition, we all know the winter of 2013 to early 2014 was rather harsh, so that slowed them down somewhat.”

Members of the council praised the efforts to extend the sound wall.

“I just want to thank the mayor and the administrator, who have both been working very hard on this,” Councilman Michael Hughes said. “… It is a great job and great example of negotiating and advocating for our residents.

“And we’ll continue to stay vigilant, and keep fighting for Lawrence Brook Manor and making sure that their quality of life is not negatively impacted, and make sure the sound wall goes up.”