A $12 million project is set to improve safety and mobility along Cedar Bridge Avenue (County Route 528) in Lakewood Township, Ocean County. The initiative, funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, will focus on the stretch from South Clifton Avenue to Airport Road. Cedar Bridge Avenue is one of the county’s busiest roads, serving commercial areas, community facilities, and key regional travel routes. It has also been identified as a corridor with significant safety concerns.
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s 2023 network screening list, this corridor ranked highest in Ocean County for pedestrian and bicycle safety issues and second overall for general corridor safety concerns.
“This project addresses longstanding safety issues along a vital corridor for our residents and visitors,” said Frank Sadeghi, Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and co-liaison to the Ocean County Engineering Department. “These improvements will help reduce crashes and create safer options for people walking and biking throughout Lakewood Township.”
The planned upgrades include new traffic signals at six intersections and a shared-use path designed for pedestrians and cyclists. Other features will be widened shoulders, high-visibility crosswalks, curb ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and improved lighting.
“The project builds on safety improvements completed along other portions of Cedar Bridge Avenue in 2015 and 2017 and will allow the county to fully implement recommendations from a 2014 road safety audit,” said Ocean County Commissioner Ray Gormley, who is also a co-liaison to the Engineering Department. “Upgrading Cedar Bridge Avenue will benefit everyone who lives, works and travels through Ocean County.”
Preliminary design work is expected to begin in summer 2026. The project will be managed by Ocean County in partnership with NJTPA, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and officials from Lakewood Township.
Ocean County operates under a Board of Commissioners led by Director John P. Kelly, Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi, and Commissioners Virginia E. Haines, Robert S. Arace, and Jennifer Bacchione (official website). The county provides various services including transportation programs aimed at enhancing community life (official website).
The Board of Commissioners stated that this project reflects their ongoing commitment to improving roadway safety while planning for future growth. By investing in proven safety measures and modern infrastructure, they aim to protect residents, support local communities, and ensure that Ocean County’s transportation network meets users’ needs.
