UPPER FREEHOLD — The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders recently passed a resolution that is expected to resolve problems involving three roads and three bridges in Upper Freehold Township.
The freeholders previously authorized a contract on May 27, 2010, with Cherry, Weber & Associates, Freehold Township, to perform professional engineering services involving road improvements to Route 539A (Sharon Station Road) from Route 539 (Allentown-Davis Station Road) to Route 526 (Allentown-Red Valley Road).
The engineering services also involve the reconstruction of bridges U-34, U-35 and U-96 on Sharon Station Road.
“All of the bridge structures in the area date back to the 1930s to the 1950s and need to be completely replaced to support the grass-center median and provide sufficient width to accommodate vehicles traveling on the road,” Monmouth County Engineer Joe Ettore said.
The freeholders’ 2010 resolution authorized a maximum cost for the firm’s services at $694,936.
Due to unanticipated New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations — including off-site water quality enhancements, Green Acres and farmland preservation requirements, and coordination with two proposed residential developments in the municipality — significant additional surveying, engineering analysis and design modifications beyond the project’s original cost and engineering intentions have become necessary, according to the freeholders’ most recent resolution.
The two residential developments have previously been approved for Sharon Station
Road, according to Ettore. The proposals will seek modifications to include driveway access to Sharon Station Road that adhere to the improvements being made, obey traffic regulations on the road and adhere to county standards.
Ettore has reviewed and approved Cherry, Weber & Associates’ request for an additional $109,996 to be authorized for additional surveying, engineering and environmental services. The proposal was contained in a letter from August 2014.
The additional cost for these services will bring the revised maximum authorized expense for the services to $804,932, according to the resolution. Any fees for additional work will be authorized only upon approval of the freeholders prior to those additional services being performed.
“This project includes the upgrading of 1.5 miles of Route 539A and the replacement of three bridges along that road segment,” Ettore said, adding that extensive design work for the road improvements has been completed. “Based on the permit requirements from DEP and farmland preservation requirements, the additional work needed will also involve a phase two cultural resource investigation.”
The additional surveying work includes providing acceptable means for water quality management, according to Ettore. The cultural-resource investigation includes an archeological report and field investigation for possible historic and prehistoric artifacts in the area.
The additional engineering services should be underway by now, and be completed by late spring or early summer, according to the county engineer. The field work may have some impact on lane closures that would be done on a daily basis, he said.