Vermont Avenue is finally slated for completion, following an approval from the State, TLS has learned.
The stretch of road is expected to ease traffic in the area, as it is the only road which runs between Chestnut and Route 70.
The Vermont Avenue Extension will be an expanded 40-foot wide roadway with sidewalks on the west side for its entire length from Route 70 to Chestnut Street. With the completion of the roadway extension, Vermont Avenue will provide a new north-south travel corridor for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists between Toms River and Lakewood.
During the groundbreaking event in 2017, Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles said, “This is the first step in alleviating many of the traffic concerns in the southern end of town. When complete, the Vermont Avenue Extension will offer an alternate north south route, easing congestion on both New Hampshire Avenue and Route 9.”
But for the last couple of years, work on the road has been slow, pending permits from the State.
“The hold up was the state allowing us to improve the intersection at Rt 70 to allow for two-way traffic,” Mayor Ray Coles said. “I am happy to say that we finally received the approvals from the state a week or two ago.”
Coles says he hopes the Township can complete the work there early next year.
More Roads, more cars, more accidents.
will VERMONT & CHESTNUT INTERSECTION get a traffic light? otherwise it’ll be a disaster
Does this include Vermont thru Oak Street? Whats the hold up with paving that? That would solve the Vine St. traffic from Oak past YTT.
Paving that section of Vermont would not help anything as once you reach the unsignalized intersection with Oak Street you’ll anyways to turn right or left.
Wonderful news!!
Now, if we can only finish the missing portions of Vine Ave between Oak and Cedar Bridge we would have a full Vine/Vermont alternative to Rt 9 from Cedar Bridge all the way to Rt 70.
Add to that an interchange betweeen Rt 9 / Main St / Central Ave & Cedar Bridge, and most of the traffic issues in town are solved.
The problem is that Vine is township owned and the State has its share of responsibility to widen Rt 9 in Lakewood like they did everywhere else.
We could probably negotiate an arrangement with the State though, as it’s more cost effective to do this than to widen Rt 9.
Also, we should have a local referundum. After all it’s the tax payers who suffer the most from this insane traffic, so let them have a say on infrastructure investments.
Start collecting signatures!
About vine Ave, you’ll have to make a bridge over beis kaila. They’re in the roadway – Only in Lakewood would that get approved