State DEP: Township Can Keep Emergency Access Road

Residents on the south side of Beach Boulevard in Forked River officially have access to an emergency access road.

Mayor Gary Quinn recently got word from the State Department of Environmental Protection that what was once a temporary access road off of Route 9 across from Oyster Creek Generating Station will remain standing.

The road was in the township's master plan for over 25 years but was never improved to the point where it was usable, Quinn said.

Last year, the county had the road paved when the bridge on Beach Boulevard was under construction. Those who live on the south side of the bridge had no other way out of town, Quinn said.

But the permit from the DEP had restrictions requiring the removal of the road once the bridge was completed.

“We had to find a different means to get in and out of that development,” Township Administrator Veronica Laureigh said. “We were hoping to keep that permanent.”

Residents applauded when Quinn announced that the DEP provided the township with a permit to keep the emergency access road at the last township committee meeting.

“I’m all for it. It was convenient when Beach Boulevard was shut down,” said Forked River resident Dave Barry.

Hopping on the access road was real simple and made life easy, Barry said.

“It’s good to have an access road. The asphalt is already down. In this economy, it seems like a waste to tear it down,” an anonymous resident said.

It would be best if the road was not used all the time to control the flow of traffic but having the access road available in case of an emergency is beneficial, he said.

Residents will only have access to the road in emergency situations.