OCEAN COUNTY AWARDS FIRST RAIL-TRAIL CONTRACT;
WORK TO BEGIN THIS FALL
TOMS RIVER - A Hammonton contractor will transform 6,000 feet of what was once a rail line beginning in Barnegat
Township into the first leg of Ocean County's 15.6 mile linear park known as the Barnegat Branch Trail.
"Today, we have awarded a contract to Highway Safety Systems Inc. to begin construction of the Barnegat Branch Trail which
starts in Barnegat Township and will travel to Toms River Township," said Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, who serves
as liaison to Ocean County's Department of Engineering. "This linear park will provide a unique recreational trail
experience to thousands of our residents and visitors."
The contract in the amount of $414,838 was awarded by the Board of Chosen Freeholders during its Sept. 5 regular meeting.
"We are looking forward to this work getting underway," said Freeholder James F. Lacey, who has been a staunch advocate of
the trail. "This is the first section which will begin at Burr Street in Barnegat and be completed at Barnegat Boulevard."
Under the contract, Highway Safety Systems Inc. will construct a 10-foot wide recreational trail that can be used
by walkers, joggers and bicyclists. The contractor will grade the area and install a 6-inch thick trail consisting of
gravel with a stone dust surface. The contract also calls for the installation of safety crossings at Rose Hill Road and
also at Barnegat Boulevard, both in Barnegat Township. The project also includes the installation of fencing, benches and
bike racks. The work is expected to start in the next few weeks and is to be completed in 60 calendar days.
"The trail follows the existing right of way of the former Barnegat Branch Division of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey," Lacey said. "The Barnegat Branch Trail will be a tremendous asset to Ocean County, providing residents and
visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the County's history, communities and culture."
Lacey recently unveiled the Barnegat Branch Trail conceptual plan prepared by Strauss and Associates, Trenton, and
Melillo and Bauer Associates, Manasquan. The plan recognizes that the Barnegat Branch Trail is a work in progress.
"Some segments of the trail will be open before the entire trail is complete and it's all connected into a linear park,"
Lacey said.
The trails southern terminus is at Burr Street in Barnegat Township and the northern terminus is near Water Street in the
vicinity of the bus station in Toms River Township.
For planning purposes the trail is divided into three segments - from Burr Street in Barnegat Township to Country
Lane, Waretown, consisting of about 2.6 miles; from South Street in Lacey Township to the Berkeley-Beachwood boundary,
which totals about 4.4 miles and from Country Lane, Waretown to South Street in Lacey Township totaling about 6.6 miles.
The primary surface finish will be a stone dust surface finish.
The plan also calls for a number of trail facilities including community centers, comfort stations, trail signage and
historical exhibits.
Any facilities constructed by Ocean County would be built in a style reminiscent of passenger and freight stations that
once served Barnegat Township, the Forked River section of Lacey Township, the Pinewald section of Berkeley Township and
Toms River. The plan also proposes several comfort stations, either co-located with community centers or as stand-alone
facilities stationed along the trail.
"I believe our residents and visitors will be happy with this recreational experience," Lacey said. "We also are planning
the trail with an eye toward safety. We want to make sure those using the trail can do so comfortably so we are making
sure that the plan includes security and safety measures."
In October 2002, Ocean County purchased 8.8 miles of the old railroad in three towns - Berkeley, Ocean and Barnegat
townships. This purchase was supplemented in 2004 when Lacey Township granted to Ocean County an easement over its
4.8-mile trail segment. Coupled with the existing bike path in Beachwood and the incorporation of a dedicated bike
lane along Flint Road in South Toms River, the completed trail will span 15.6 miles from Barnegat Township to Toms
River Township.
"The Barnegat Branch trail is readily accessible to the almost 170,000 residents of the seven host municipalities and
will be within a short drive of Ocean County's population of almost 600,000," Lacey said. "As the county's population
grows, the Barnegat Branch Trail will play an increasingly vital role in meeting recreational and alternative
transportation objectives.
"The trail is more than a park, it becomes part of the transportation network and is a valuable environmental resource,"
Lacey said.
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