Township expected to back Route 322 median closure
Posted by Jersey Shore Breaking News at Wednesday, September 12. 2007 and is filed under Absecon,Current of Hamilton,Current of Egg Harbor Township,Current of Pleasantville,Northfield 
Township expected to back Route 322 median closure
By JACKIE HANUSEY
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Township Committee was expected to pass a resolution last night (Tuesday, Sept. 11, after this newspaper’s deadline) to endorse closing most of the medians on Route 40/322 to prevent vehicle traffic from cutting across from the eastbound lanes of travel to the west, and visa versa.
The medians on Route 322 can be dangerous and in some cases deadly. Cars often pass through the narrow openings separating the eastbound and westbound Black Horse Pike in a way that causes part of the vehicle to jut out into traffic coming up from behind the vehicle.
The state Department of Transportation held a public information meeting Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Cardiff Fire station on the Black Horse Pike during which closing six medians between Ivans and Ridge Avenues and adding two traffic lights were discussed.
Engineers said the lights would be added at Tremont and Ridge Avenues, according to Miller.
Township Administrator Peter Miller said median closure has been under discussion for at least 10 years. Discussions about the medians, he said, is what caused the traffic light to be erected at Fernwood Avenue and the Black Horse Pike.
The meeting, attended by township Mayor and state Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough, Deputy Mayor Stanley “Jake” Glassey and Committeeman John Risley, among others, described what plans the DOT would like to see in place as accident data for the road.
“At this time it was a preliminary design with no engineering” Miller said of the closed-median concept.
A dollar amount has also not been attached to the project, but Miller said the state is not seeking county or township money for the project.
“By endorsing the proposal the committee with allow them to start the next phase,” said Miller, who has been told that it would take 18 months to complete the design. This would mean it should be available by early 2009 in time to make the 2010 fiscal year budget.
The resolution on the Township Committee agenda calls for adding money in the state’s 2010 budget for the project.
Miller said there were only a handful of people at the meeting and only a few of them had reservations.
“Two property owners were concerned about not leaving one of them open for their (customers’) convenience,” Miller said. “It may be convenient now, but as traffic increases it will be less and less safe.”
To comment on this story
e-mail Jackie.Hanusey
@catamaranmedia.com.
The medians on Route 322 can be dangerous and in some cases deadly. Cars often pass through the narrow openings separating the eastbound and westbound Black Horse Pike in a way that causes part of the vehicle to jut out into traffic coming up from behind the vehicle.
The state Department of Transportation held a public information meeting Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Cardiff Fire station on the Black Horse Pike during which closing six medians between Ivans and Ridge Avenues and adding two traffic lights were discussed.
Engineers said the lights would be added at Tremont and Ridge Avenues, according to Miller.
Township Administrator Peter Miller said median closure has been under discussion for at least 10 years. Discussions about the medians, he said, is what caused the traffic light to be erected at Fernwood Avenue and the Black Horse Pike.
The meeting, attended by township Mayor and state Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough, Deputy Mayor Stanley “Jake” Glassey and Committeeman John Risley, among others, described what plans the DOT would like to see in place as accident data for the road.
“At this time it was a preliminary design with no engineering” Miller said of the closed-median concept.
A dollar amount has also not been attached to the project, but Miller said the state is not seeking county or township money for the project.
“By endorsing the proposal the committee with allow them to start the next phase,” said Miller, who has been told that it would take 18 months to complete the design. This would mean it should be available by early 2009 in time to make the 2010 fiscal year budget.
The resolution on the Township Committee agenda calls for adding money in the state’s 2010 budget for the project.
Miller said there were only a handful of people at the meeting and only a few of them had reservations.
“Two property owners were concerned about not leaving one of them open for their (customers’) convenience,” Miller said. “It may be convenient now, but as traffic increases it will be less and less safe.”
To comment on this story
e-mail Jackie.Hanusey
@catamaranmedia.com.
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