Politics & Government

Work to Begin Next Month on Parkway Exit 83 Connector Road

Freeholders hold ceremonial groundbreaking in Toms River for 1.3-mile project

Construction is expected to start in November on a new  that is designed to improve traffic to and from the Garden State Parkway northbound at interchange 83.

County officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday on Route 571 in Toms River, which will be widened amid a multitude of improvements within the next three years that have been approved by the county and New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Freeholders were the first to put shovels into the ground to signal the start of a long-discussed and anticipated project.

"The contractor intends to start almost immediately," said county Engineer Frank Scarantino, who noted the county has issued a notice to proceed with construction of the connector road. "They're anxious to get started."

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The contractor, C.J. Hesse Inc. of Belford, will construct a 1.3-mile extension of Intermediate North Way, between Routes 166 and 571. When completed, Ocean County will boast more than 621 miles of road, the most in New Jersey.

Scarantino said that while a "harsh winter" could be an "impediment" to construction progress, C.J. Hesse should otherwise be able to "easily proceed through winter" to complete the road.

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The engineer doesn't foresee major traffic problems during construction, although he said there will be "minor disruptions" on Routes 166 and 571 during phases of the construction. 

   will be extended toward the Parkway northbound, with traffic signals featured at intersections with Route 166, the Parkway exit and entrance ramps and Route 571, which will be widened between the Parkway and the connector road.

Additionally, projects approved by the Turnpike Authority include the expansion and improvement of the exit and entrance ramps from the Parkway northbound at exit 83, with a signalized intersection where the exit ramp meets the new road. Motorists exiting Parkway northbound will be able to turn left to access Route 571 or right to travel Route 166 south, county officials said.

Although Scarantino said the work affecting 571 and 166 will have a minor effect on traffic, the "biggest coordination and scheduling issue will be the Northbound on and off ramps." He expects the Parkway interchange could be closed for roughly a week sometime next year to allow for the improvements.

"This has been a long time in coming for the motorists of Toms River and Ocean County. When this project is complete, drivers will have a much easier time getting through the area," Freeholder Director Joseph Vicari said.

Vicari, who is up for re-election Nov. 8, said C.J. Hesse's winning $3.692 million bid was almost $1 million less than the estimated price of the connector road project. The county received nine competitive bids for the work, which Vicari said Wednesday was attributable to a shaky economy. One contractor who did not earn the contract came within $17,000 of C.J. Hesse's projection.

"Not only is this project going to benefit the many motorists that use the area to access residential and commercial areas but... the competitive prices among bidders have resulted in a real benefit for the citizens of Ocean County," Vicari said.

The freeholder director said the Turnpike Authority's improvements to the interchange are worth roughly $8 million to $9 million, with almost $60 million in total Parkway improvements planned by the state over the next few years.

"The connector road will provide for a safer trip for our motorists," said Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry Little. 


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