New Traffic Light at Gravel Hill Road

The intersection of Gravel Hill Road and County Road (CR) 537 is now safer with the unveiling of a new traffic signal.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders along with members of the Freehold Township Committee gatheredat the intersection Thursday to officially activate the new traffic signal. Plans for the signal originally began in 2009 after multiple accidents occurred at the intersection. 

"This was a very dangerous intersection," explained Township Committee woman Barbra McMorrow. "There were some really terrible accidents here and any accident is one too many and we knew we needed to do something about it."

McMorrow, who was the director on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2009 when discussions for the project began, expressed her happiness of seeing the project completed at the unveiling. 

"I am now on the other side of the road so to speak from when the project began, but this is a great example of a municipality and a county working together to benefit our residents."

According to a press release issued by the county, the project of creating the intersection included the widening of one mile of CR 537 to four lanes with a fifth center lane, widening of Gravel Hill Road to include a left-turn lane, the re-grading of the roadway profile along CR 537 to increase sight distance, the installation of storm drainage improvements and the replacement of a small culvert bridge. The new intersection also features a push-button pedestrian signal.

The work was performed by P&A Construction of Woodbridge for $2.3 million.