State DOT grant will fund Symmes Drive realignment

MANALAPAN - Mayor Michelle Roth announced that Manalapan has been awarded a $160,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation to be used for the realignment of Symmes Drive at the bend in the road near Craig Road and CaitlinWay.

Speaking at the Jan. 9 meeting of the Township Committee, Roth also announced thatmany calls have been received at town hall regarding the extensive reconstruction ofWoodward Road,work that entails the reconstruction of several bridges, according to Roth.

The News Transcript reported several weeks ago that the road improvement project on Woodward Road will keep the thoroughfare closed between Millhurst Road and Daum Road through September.

Roth said municipal officials are sensitive to the inconvenience the work is causing to residents in the area and to those motorists who rely onWoodward Road.

"We understand the inconvenience to residents and we do apologize, but ultimately it will be improved for the safety of everyone," she said.

TownshipEngineerGreg Valesi was at the meeting and spoke about thematter.

Valesi said CVS Pharmacy, which recently opened a store on the south side of Route 33 at Woodward Road, was made responsible as part of its project approval for road improvements onWoodward Road from the Chesterbrook Academy to the intersection with Route 33. According to Valesi, work on Woodward

Road can be expected for

some time to come. He cited

a Wawa convenience store

and gas station that has

been approved for construction

on Woodward

Road at Route 33 (the

north side of the highway)

as well as a pending Walgreen's

application.

Valesi said the road work that will be included in both applications' approvals will ultimately mean that the Route 33 and Woodward Road intersection improvements will be "fully complete."

In other business, Roth announced several mayoral appointments. Michael Gross and James O'Rourke were appointed to the Special Needs Council and Don Holland was appointed to serve as an alternate on the Environmental Commission.

During the public portion of themeeting resident Larry Sherman asked the committeemembers to have the township attorney review a recently adopted political sign ordinance to ensure that it does not violate the first amendment rights of people who are seeking elective office.

Sherman said if the ordinance passes muster, he would like to see the parameters expanded to cover the proliferation of retail signs throughout Manalapan as well.

- Kathy Baratta