Government

Herbertsville Road Permanent Speed Limit Reduction Adopted, Roadwork Ongoing This Week

by
Daniel Nee
October 25, 2023

Speed Limit and directional signs on Herbertsville Road, Brick, N.J., Oct. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The Brick Township council unanimously adopted an ordinance lowering the speed limit on a portion of Herbertsville Road, while Ocean County – which has jurisdiction over the thoroughfare – is continuing work on the road this week, necessitating nighttime closures.

The council’s ordinance follows a request from the county, which studied the roadway earlier this year and determined a portion should have its speed limit reduced from 45 m.p.h. to 40 m.p.h. There was no public opposition to the reduction when a required hearing took place before the council voted Tuesday night.

The ordinance will lower the speed limit from 45 m.p.h. to 40 m.p.h. between Maple Avenue and Lanes Mill Road. The intersection with Lanes Mill Road also serves as the intersection with Thiele Road, best known for being the location of Epiphany Church’s parish hall. Maple Avenue is the location of the Krauszer’s convenience store. Both intersections are controlled by traffic lights.

The studies were conducted from Jan. 17 to Jan. 23 in the vicinity of Sawmill Road, and the second from Jan. 24 to Jan. 30, in the vicinity of Albermarle Road. After the data was collected, county officials calculated vehicle speeds, 85th percentile speeds (the speed at which at least 85 percent of motorists naturally drive), the number of vehicles exceeding the speed limit by 5 m.p.h. and the number who exceed it by 10 m.p.h.

As the council was busy at its meeting Tuesday night, construction crews were busy working on the very road covered by the ordinance. According to the Ocean County Department of Engineering, a project that will replace drainage pipes along Herbertsville Road will lead to intermittent closures and lane shifts. The roadway was closed between Sally Ike Road and Thiele Road Tuesday night, with a detour set up at both intersections. County officials say the project will run from Sally Ike Road and Route 70, but traffic will mainly be impacted only by lane shifts and shoulder closures, rather than detours of the entire roadway.