BERKELEY – Township officials have wanted a traffic signal to be built at the corner of Hickory Lane and Route 9, and they have finally received the green light for it.
The road has handled increasing traffic recently. For a long time, Hickory led to a group of warehouse-sized commercial buildings and the Ocean County Utilities Authority. Now, though, there are scores of homes and the residents use Hickory as the easiest way to get to Route 9.
However, during certain times of the day, making a left onto Route 9 north is dangerous. Drivers would often wait a long period of time, and then get impatient and take a chance when there was a small break in traffic from the northbound and southbound lanes.
This is why Berkeley officials have been pushing for a traffic light there – they didn’t want a fatal collision or any more serious crashes.
Since Route 9 is a state road, Berkeley has been petitioning the New Jersey Department of Transportation to install the light.
According to Berkeley Police paperwork from 2022, the cost of the traffic light is approximately $250,000. The township would be responsible for a quarter of the costs, or about $62,500.
The town had put money in escrow from the developer of the neighborhood off Hickory to pay for this light, so the taxpayers won’t be paying for it.
Steve Schapiro, Press Manager for the DOT, said that the agreement is being finalized.
“Installation work usually takes a few months to complete and is dependent on weather and other factors. It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025,” he said.
Mayor John Bacchione was very happy that the state finally approved the light, and he thanked the engineer and police for assembling the information needed for the DOT to agree to the light. And he thanked Stacy Georgaklis, confidential secretary to the mayor, for repeatedly checking on the progress of the request with the state.
In 2022, when Bacchione was a councilmember, he said of this intersection: “It’s just asking for an accident. If you live on Hickory and are trying to make a left, this light will be your best friend.”
There is a county plan to extend Hickory around the OCUA property toward the Garden State Parkway. That plan is pretty far off.
