A five-leg roundabout would replace a signalized intersection as part of a proposal to improve traffic flow in one of the fastest-growing areas in the region.
Christopher Marra, P.E., of engineering firm GPI, the deputy project manager for the Kennedy Boulevard (CR-6) and County Line Road (CR-526) corridor improvements project, presented “Innovative Safety and Congestion Relief Initiatives in Lakewood” to the NJTPA Board of Trustees at its meeting on July 14.
The project is part of a Local Concept Development (LCD) study of the parallel roads that run from Laurelwood Avenue to Squankum Road in Lakewood Township, Ocean County. It’s federally funded through the NJTPA, working in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
“Anyone familiar with Lakewood and the surrounding areas knows there’s been significant development expansion,” Marra said, which is driving increases in traffic both in the immediate project area and beyond.
The project is based on the 2017 Transportation Model Update for Ocean County, which determined that both corridors would exceed their capacity by 2025. In addition, there is an incomplete sidewalk network, lack of continuous shoulders and bicycle facilities, and a lack of signal coordination, Marra said. Aggressive driving is common throughout the project area.
Widening the road from four lanes, with two lanes in each direction, to five lanes with a center turning lane, would require taking the right-of-way from about 40 businesses and residences, in addition to significant impacts to nearby Woodland Cemetery, Marra said. That would likely preclude the project from advancing.
The primary alternatives investigated were:
- Maintain existing traffic patterns and optimize signal timings
- One-way conversion of County Line Road eastbound and Kennedy Boulevard westbound, with buffered bike lanes
- One-way conversion of County Line Road eastbound and Kennedy Boulevard westbound, with paved shared use path
- Construct a hybrid roundabout at Squankum Road to replace an existing pair of signalized intersections
- Maintain the pair of signalized intersections but widen and reconstruct traffic signals at Squankum Road to provide additional turning lanes
- No proposed changes
Marra focused his remarks on the preferred alternative of constructing a hybrid roundabout at an estimated cost of $28.8 million. Advantages include long-term congestion improvements, full sidewalk and bicycle connectivity, enhanced pedestrian safety, and shoulders accommodating on-street parking.
Meanwhile, the disadvantages included easements and right-of-way taking for construction of the sidewalk, and side path and roundabouts. Snow maintenance for a wider shared path might prove challenging for property owners.
The roundabout better accommodates traffic during peak and off-peak hours when compared to a signalized intersection, Marra said. It would mitigate potential wrong-way movements from the two-way traffic along County Line Road east.
Converting County Line and Kennedy to one way will eliminate the need for a dedicated left-through lane, Marra said, which allows for a consistent cross-section throughout and shoulders. The one-way conversion would allow for construction of curb extensions at intersections, improve pedestrian visibility, shorten pedestrian crossings, and discourage parking close to the intersection. Left turns from Kennedy and County Line would reduce conflict points.
The preferred alternative would require NJDOT approval because Route 9 is a state road and would require widening.
A recording of the presentation is available on the NJTPA YouTube channel.