Medford Sun

By AUBRIE GEORGE | The Medford Sun
The township’s plans to install left-hand turn lanes at the intersection of Hartford Road and Route 70 could get underway as early as this spring. However, depending on when state approval is received, township officials said they might wait until school is out this summer to begin construction.
Township engineer Chris Noll said revised plans have been re-submitted to the state Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Pinelands Commission after comments on the original plans were received and the plans were revised accordingly.
Noll said those comments did not require the project to undergo any major changes. Revisions included a few technical changes having to do with light standards and traffic signals, and the Pinelands Commission asked the township to move a storm water basin, which it has done, Noll said.
The revised plans were re-submitted to both groups and the township has heard back from the Pinelands Commission but is still awaiting state approval before the project can go out to bid.
Noll said the township took care of the drainage and storm water issues the pinelands commission asked them to and is working on clarifying with the commission know what issues the township addressed and how they did so. He said those issues should be clarified by mid-January.
The approximately $1 million intersection improvement project includes adding left-hand turn lanes with left turn signals at all four of the intersection’s approaches, Noll said.
Congestion problems occur at the intersection because there is one lane going through all four approaches, offering no space for cars to get around a car that is making a left-hand turn, particularly on Hartford Road – causing the intersection to become congested, Noll said.
The NJDOT has long-term plans to improve traffic problems at the intersection that include adding a through lane and widening the intersection at all four approaches.
Township officials said the improvement project is going to be funded by a joint effort of grant money from the state, as well as money from developers and the township.
Plans for the intersection were supposed to begin last summer but were not approved in time. Council gave Noll direction to move the project forward this fall so that construction could possibly be completed before the holidays.
However, the township is still waiting on approval so that construction may begin this spring or, possibly, this summer.
Once construction begins, Noll said it would take about two to three months for the township to complete its portion of the project.
The DOT will begin its portion of the intersection improvement once the plans are in place.

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