Freeholders advance road project

By TAYLOR M. LIER
Staff Writer

The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has retained T&M Associates to provide professional engineering services associated with the redesign of a problematic intersection in Colts Neck.

The intersection in question is where Crine, Dutch Lane and Heulitt roads meet.

Crine Road is designated as county Route 4 and Dutch Lane Road is designated as county Route 46. The county has jurisdiction at the location.

The professional engineering services to be provided by T&M Associates will be for improvements at the intersection. The freeholders took the action to hire T&M Associates at their meeting on Sept. 23.

In June, the freeholders passed a resolution acknowledging that a need exists for changes at the intersection.

Monmouth County public information officer Laura Kirkpatrick said the $1 million project is expected to include the construction of a roundabout.

Monmouth County Engineer Joseph Ettore previously said the new traffic pattern will improve safety by improving the alignment of the roads that feed into the intersection.

The contract with T&M Associates will not exceed $78,978, according to the board’s resolution. Any fees for work beyond that amount will be authorized only upon the approval of the board prior to additional services being performed.

A request for professional qualifications (RFPQ) was issued and advertised on Monmouth County’s website on July 22.

Four qualification statements based on the advertising were received on Aug. 6.

The requests for proposals (RFP) were sent to the three highest scored respondents to the RFPQ on Aug. 21.

These proposals were received and opened in public on Sept. 10. The proposals came from CME Associates, Parlin; Maser Consulting, Red Bank; and T&M Associates, Middletown.

The proposals were reviewed and evaluated by a three-member committee using pre-established criteria which were disclosed in the RFP, according to the resolution.

The members of the evaluation committee were Ettore, Assistant County Engineer Ming Kao and Assistant Engineer Joseph R. Strafaci.

T&M Associates’ proposal was $78,978 and it was determined to be the most costeffective and also offered the best qualification approach to the project, according to the resolution.

Maser Consulting’s proposal came in at $109,332, and CME Associates’ proposal was $148,220.

Contact Taylor M. Lier at [email protected].