County Road 539 runs from Tuckerton to Cranbury Township in Ocean County, covering a little more than 50 miles, much of it through the Pinelands.
It is hard to believe a road with long stretches that pass through open, rural and unpopulated areas could consistently be called one of the most dangerous roads by the New Jersey State Police.
One reason for this hazardous designation is the animals that frequent the roadway.
A second reason is because of a stretch of the roadway which bisects a portion of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Most every day, military convoys utilize and cross this section of the road to get from one portion of the Joint Base to the other. These convoys usually are comprised of large, heavy and slow-moving vehicles.
Because of the configuration of the roadway, drivers coming through this stretch, where the speed limit is 55 mph, do not always have enough warning that these large vehicles are in the roadway ahead of them. This has caused several accidents over the years.
These military vehicles also disrupt the faster moving civilian traffic and cause traffic slowdowns and backups especially during the summer season when the road is most heavily traveled.
It should also be mentioned that this military traffic frequently utilizes Route 70 as well, which further adds to the congestion.
It is critical that the military and civilian communities come together to solve this problem.
Anyone who lived, or lives, in the area around Fort Monmouth knows what an economic blow it was when Congress closed that base in 2005 as part of its BRAC (Base Realignment and Closing) activities that year. The area is still in an economic recovery mode.
We need to remember that Congress undergoes regular BRAC evaluations and New Jersey cannot afford to have the Joint Base suffer the same fate as Fort Monmouth.
The economic impact of the Joint Base on New Jersey’s economy is equivalent to a Fortune 100 company. The base employees approximately 42,000 people (it’s one of the largest employers in the state) and it pumps $6 billion into the state economy each year.
We need to do everything possible to keep the Joint Base operating as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
The good news is that after years of discussions and delays, we now have a solution on the near horizon. The better news is we have the funds approved to get it done.
After exhaustive studies of the roadway and the environment, Ocean County’s Engineering Department recommends building a bridge along County Road 539 that would elevate the civilian traffic over the military traffic. The military traffic would pass through an opening under the bridge to access the other side of the base.
Called the “539 Interconnector” because it connects the two sides of the Joint Base bifurcated by the roadway, this solution provides the highest level of safety for motorists and is also the most cost-effective.
The 539 Interconnector not only solves the traffic safety issue, it also addresses longer-term issues involving the Joint Base and BRAC. For instance, the Interconnector will greatly expand the training space on Joint Base grounds for Reservists and National Guard, making the base an attractive venue for new missions.
The money to build the Interconnector – estimated to be $12 million – already has been approved by Congress and it has been allocated to Ocean County through the Federal Department of Transportation.
Ocean County is in the middle of completing its studies and obtaining the necessary permits. It looks promising that the project can get started in 2025.
There is virtual unanimity in both the military and civilian communities about the need for the Interconnector and its benefits to both the Joint Base and New Jersey.
We have the solution. We have the resources. We have the dollars.
Let’s get it done.
Michael Warner is the chair of the Defense Enhancement Coalition, a nonprofit group of residents and business leaders that advocates government actions to protect and enhance Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. He is also a former commander of Fort Dix and former deputy commissioner for veterans affairs for the state of New Jersey. He is also chair of the Burlington County Military Affairs Committee’s Board of Trustees.
