By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
HOWELL – The design phase for planned improvements at the intersection of Ketchum Road and Route 524 (Adelphia Road) in Howell will take longer than initially anticipated to complete.
Route 524 is a Monmouth County road. Ketchum Road meets Route 524 on a curve on the county highway that is directly in front of the Our House Restaurant.
On Nov. 22, the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders passed a resolution authorizing the firm of Greenman-Pedersen Inc., Babylon, N.Y., to perform additional engineering services relating to the design of improvements at Ketchum Road and Route 524.
In 2010, the freeholders authorized the maximum expenditure for the design of the improvements not to exceed $97,550. The Nov. 22 resolution adds an amount not to exceed $53,402 to the design phase costs.
The resolution states that based on requests from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Howell during the design of the proposed improvements, “it became necessary to provide additional storm water management facilities, unanticipated (state) Green Acres coordination and additional curbing.”
The county engineer reviewed Greenman-Pedersen’s request for additional funding and, relying on the recommendation of the engineer, the freeholders granted the extra $53,402.
The maximum cost for the firm’s services is now $150,953 and any expenditure over that amount must be authorized by the freeholders prior to the additional services being performed, according to the resolution.