FISCHER BOULEVARD EXTENSION STUDY COULD BRING NEW NORTH-SOUTH ROUTE TO DOVER AND BRICK TOWNSHIPS

04/27/05

COULD A NEW north-south route linking Fischer Boulevard and North Bay Avenue in Dover Township with Route 70 in Brick help ease the traffic flow between Ocean County's two largest towns? The state Department of Transportation is going to pay $300,000 for a study to find out. "The question is, is it feasible?" said Freeholder John P. Kelly. "We're going to look at the traffic needs and the environmental concerns and find the answer." The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders next week is expected to accept the $300,000. The study should begin by the summer. "Between them, Dover and Brick are home to more than 170,000 people," said Kelly, who is liaison to the Ocean County Department of Engineering. "Besides local residents, the two towns are business hubs and attract visitors from around the county and the state. A new route between these important communities would benefit the entire county." Representatives from Dover, Brick, the county and Ocean County College have already been meeting on a regular basis to discuss the feasibility of a new route. Ocean County College is involved because any Fischer Boulevard extension would travel on, or near, the college campus. One preliminary idea that will be explored in the study is extending Fischer Boulevard west to North Bay Avenue, said Ocean County Engineer Ronald A. Lotrecchio. North Bay Avenue would then be extended to meet Route 70 in Brick near Parkway Interchange 88. "One of our goals is to get people off of the Garden State Parkway without putting them on Brick Boulevard and Hooper Avenue," Lotrecchio said. "With this plan, drivers could exit the Parkway and travel all the way to Fischer Boulevard." While the plan sounds good on paper, significant questions remain. The study will take a close look at the environment along the proposed route. Endangered tree frogs are known to inhabit sections of woods and wetlands near Ocean County College. "We need to look carefully at all of the details before moving ahead with any plan," Kelly said. "This in-depth study is the place to start." Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari said a study is an important step in the right direction. "We've done all we can to improve the existing roads," he said, referring to the county's ongoing $17 million reconstruction of Brick Boulevard. "We have to look at new ways to divert traffic."