JACKSON – Public officials, developers and traffic engineers have brainstormed some recommendations on how to ease traffic congestion near the Great Adventure and Adventure Crossing entry and exit points.
The corridor includes roads not only in Jackson but also in Millstone Township. During the peak summer season, traffic increases as visitors head to the popular amusement park and sports venues near Jackson.
A meeting was held recently at the theme park, attended by Assemblymen Alex Sauickie, Robert Clifton (both Republicans, 12th District), staff member Anissa Esposito, Great Adventure President Brian Bacica, and Cardinale Enterprises (Adventure Crossing USA): President Vito Cardinale, Real Estate Director – Leasing and Property Management Danielle Wyant-Bilotti. Also in attendance were Monmouth County Engineer Joseph Ettore, Millstone Mayor Al Ferro, Millstone Business Administrator Kevin Abernethy, Upper Freehold Township Mayor Dr. Robert Frascella, and Committeeman Steve Alexander. Monmouth County Executive Tom Arnone was invited but was unable to attend.
MP Sauickie said The Jackson Times “Congressman Clifton and I have been working to resolve what has been a problem for over a decade with Interstate 537 and the I-95 bridge in particular. We have made it known to everyone that we have been assured by the Governor’s office that these issues will be resolved.”
“We believe this project will have a positive impact not only on Jackson residents, but also on those in surrounding communities such as Plumsted, Millstone and Upper Freehold,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to present some ideas and hear what the engineer had to say about them. The management teams at Six Flags and Adventure Crossing have been great to work with and clearly want to see the traffic issues resolved as much as anyone.”
Participants at the meeting discussed a wide range of topics, including signage improvements to address physical issues with the I-195 ramps. “Signs could better guide drivers who are unfamiliar with the area, both on the way to Six Flags and off. Six Flags might be able to do some things on its own property to make sure that departing traffic takes the correct route,” he said.
“We’ve discussed possible solutions, but none are final yet. I would say it’s a multi-pronged solution. There are some things that will alleviate some of the issues, but the biggest issue is going to be the bridge itself. One of the biggest hurdles is that Route 537 is essentially a county boundary. The road itself is maintained by Monmouth County, but it has a significant impact on Ocean County residents,” Sauickie added.
The congressman noted that “the bridge is over a federal highway, so getting all parties to agree to resolve the issue is probably a decade-long effort. With the assurances we've received from the governor's office, I think we're finally going to get the funding we need that will allow us to meet our needs.”
“We haven't received a final number, but we have suggested a solution of $50 million to $100 million. That could be arranged to solve the problem. We would be supportive of any type of bill that would support infrastructure and once we get assurances, we can get that type of funding for that area,” he added.
Sauickie noted, “This is a quality of life issue that residents of Jackson, Millstone, Upper Freehold and Plumsted have been complaining about for over a decade. It’s also a safety issue. When there’s a bottleneck at the bridge, first responders can’t get to the other side of the bridge. It’s a nightmare.”
It was decided to give the engineer more time to review and consider what was discussed, and a further meeting will be held to formulate some action plans.
“We’re pleased to have the first assurance that we’re actually going to fix this,” Sauickie added. “We want Six Flags Great Adventure to get better. We want businesses in the area to get better. Nobody is against businesses growing and bringing revenue to the area through tourism and all that goes with it.”
He added: “We certainly want to be very attentive to the residents who live in the neighborhood and see what we can do to improve both the quality of life and the safety issues. I feel like everyone left the meeting feeling like we finally have some real momentum on this.”
Rep. Clifton is a member of the Assembly's Transport and Independent Authorities Committee. He has met with the acting head of the State Department of Transport and discussed these issues and is promoting a future high-level meeting in the coming weeks.
