Congested intersection to get new traffic signal BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer CHRIS KELLY staff A new signal and dedicated lanes will help to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Harding Road and Prospect Avenue. RED BANK - Commuters may soon get a reprieve from a recurring traffic backup at the intersection of Harding Road and Prospect Avenue. A traffic signal has been proposed for the intersection, which borders Red Bank, Little Silver and Fair Haven. Traffic at the intersection is currently controlled by a beacon with stop signs on Prospect Avenue, a northbound and a southbound lane on Prospect Avenue, and an eastbound and a westbound lane on Harding Road. Representatives from the Monmouth County Engineering Department presented three scenarios for the heavily trafficked intersection to the Red Bank Council during their March 10 meeting. A similar presentation was held previously in Little Silver and Fair Haven. "In order to install a traffic signal … you need to meet warrants," said Ray Bragg, of the county Engineering Department. "The traffic signal meets four traffic signal warrants. We feel there is going to be no problem from the Department of Transportation [DOT] to install the traffic signal." He added that there are other concerns with the intersection, including a lack of turning lanes onHardingRoad and Prospect Avenue, restricted sight distance on ProspectAvenue and a lack of crosswalks. Bragg and Assistant Monmouth County Engineer Peter Imperiale introduced three alternative plans that are being proposed by the county to curb the more than 50-second wait at the Prospect Avenue stop sign during morning and evening hours. "The level of service at the intersection right nowis levelAforHarding Road,which means it's prettymuch a free-flowing condition because the stop signs are on Prospect," Imperiale said. "Those stop signs create levels of service of [level] F in the morning hours and the afternoon hours in all directions along Prospect Avenue. During the middle portion of the day, it improves slightly but only to a level D, which again translates to quite significant delays at that stop sign." He said the amount of average daily traffic on a weekday at the intersection is more than 26,000 vehicles, and on the weekends the average is almost 20,000 vehicles per day. The first alternative was to only install a traffic signal. This would entail installation of the signal, signing and striping, butwould not require any roadwidening or acquisition of right of way, according to Imperiale. "The level of service for this particular scenariowould improve to an overall level of service toCin themorning hours, toBin the afternoon hours, and again B in themidday period," said Imperiale. Bragg presented the second alternative, which consisted of installing the traffic signal and widening the roadway to accommodate left-turn lanes. "We added a left-turn lane off Harding Road onto ProspectAvenue and the same on Harding Road going westbound, going southbound on ProspectAvenue.Becausewe are adding a lane, there is some minor widening that needs to be done," said Bragg. This option includes 2 to 3 feet of road widening and the acquisition of a minor right of way, said Bragg. The third alternative is the same as the second option with the addition of a rightturn lane going northbound onto Prospect Avenue, said Imperiale. The engineers recommended alternative two to the council because of its increased level of service and its cost-effective rate. "We're increasing our level of service, which is the amount of time spent at the intersection, which is an F on ProspectAvenue, andnowwearegoingtoaB forthewhole intersection, so it's a great improvement," Bragg said of alternative two. Bragg said some additional benefits of the traffic signal being proposed in alternative two include improved safety, designated pedestrian crossing, and state-of-the-art traffic signal with video detection, and the signal will be LED or an energy-efficient traffic signal with battery backup. "The next step in the project schedule is the review of the comments fromRed Bank, Little Silver and Fair Haven, which we're anticipating by the end of this month," said Imperiale. He said the county would approach the DOT for traffic signal authorization sometime during the summer, and the bidding process and awarding of the contract will occur by the end of the summer. The construction phase will begin in the fall, said Imperiale, as long as the county is able to acquire the necessary right of way. Bragg said he had not yet heard back from the governing body of Fair Haven, but that the mayor and council of Little Silver chose alternative two.