Bids for new traffic light under review
BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Five firms have submitted bids to Freehold Township seeking a contract to construct a traffic light at the intersection of Halls Mill and Three Brooks roads.

Assistant Township Administrator Richard D. Phelan said the bids were opened and read on Jan. 24.

The apparent low bidder is Lucas Electric, Hightstown, with a bid of $65,798. Bids were also submitted by Pantaleo Electric, Freehold, $70,535; Orchard Holdings, Middlesex, $72,718; Foggia Contracting, Berkeley Heights, $73,788; and Fai-Gon Electrical, Piscataway, $171,580, according to Phelan.

He said the engineer's estimate for the project was between $100,000 and $120,000.

Phelan said the engineering department is reviewing the documents submitted by the apparent low bidder to determine if that firm, Lucas Electric, meets state and local requirements. All of the bids are considered to be unofficial until the documents are reviewed.

After reviewing the paperwork that was submitted by the bidders the township engineer will make a recommendation to the Township Committee for the awarding of a contract, he explained.

According to a legal notice that was published in a daily newspaper and asked contractors to submit bids for the traffic signal, the township has the right to reject any and all of the bids.

Township Engineer Joseph Mavuro previously told the News Transcript that the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Three Brooks and Halls Mill roads is a matter of safety. Mavuro said municipal officials examined the situation and determined that the high volume of traffic going through that location warrants action now.

"The decision was made to go with a temporary signal now rather than waiting several years until Halls Mill Road is realigned and a permanent signal is constructed at the intersection with Three Brooks Road," Mavuro said.

The installation of a traffic light will help ease a situation that has become worse over the years as additional traffic heads down Three Brooks Road, away from Route 9 and toward Halls Mill Road.

Without a traffic light in place motorists turning left from Three Brooks Road onto Halls Mill Road sometimes have to wait a significant amount of time to make their turn due to an increase in the volume of traffic on Halls Mill Road. Traffic backs up on Three Brooks Road when that situation occurs.

The traffic light municipal officials are planning to install will stop the traffic on Halls Mill Road and facilitate the left turns from Three Brooks Road.