CHESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — New LED lighting is planned for intersections along the Route 206 corridor in Chester Township as part of an effort to improve nighttime visibility and roadway safety, according to Mayor Tim Drag.
Drag said he has been working for more than a year with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Assemblyman Mike Inganamort to identify and implement safety improvements along Route 206.
Previous work has included paving improvements and vegetation management near intersections to improve sight lines, Drag said.
The latest effort will focus on lighting.
“At our request, NJDOT will be installing LED lighting at every intersection where Route 206 meets a Township roadway,” Drag said. “The increased visibility will help improve safety for motorists turning onto or off of Township roads from Route 206, particularly after dark.”
In a July 10 letter to Chester Township Clerk Robin Collins, NJDOT said it was seeking to enhance roadway safety and improve visibility for motorists along Route 206. The department also said it had received a request from Drag regarding lighting concerns at the intersections.
According to the NJDOT letter, lighting improvements are planned along Route 206 between Daly Road at milepost 83.38 and Duffy Road at milepost 89.43.
Locations identified by NJDOT include intersections at Daly Road, Spring Lake Drive, Rogers Road, Fox Chase Road-Lamerson Road, Old Chester Road-Gladstone Road, Pottersville Road, Cooper Lane, Colby Farm Road, Melville Place and Duffy Road.
The project calls for new 93-watt LED fixtures at several locations. At the Old Chester Road-Gladstone Road intersection, four existing high-pressure sodium fixtures are slated to be upgraded to LED lighting. Existing fixtures at Melville Place and Duffy Road are also slated for LED upgrades.
NJDOT said Chester Township will be responsible for installation and electricity costs associated with the utility pole lighting and will need to coordinate installation with Jersey Central Power & Light.
The department said future changes or removal of the lights cannot be made without prior NJDOT approval.
“Achieving the desired improvements in visibility and safety is contingent upon the installation of utility pole lighting, and we would appreciate your prompt attention to this matter,” NJDOT Supervising Engineer Abdul Rattu wrote in the letter.
Drag thanked the state for its work on the corridor.
“We appreciate NJDOT’s continued partnership and commitment to making Route 206 safer for our residents as well as everyone who travels through Chester Township,” Drag said.
