Turn Lane Installed At Main St. / Rt. 206 Intersection In Chester

CHESTER, NJ — The first of two long-anticipated traffic projects has been completed in Chester: a turn lane and turn-only arrow was installed at the intersection of Main Street and Route 206.

The changes were put into effect this week. The turn-lane is for those turning north onto Route 206 from Main Street. As part of that change, the timing of the traffic signals has been changed, officials said.

A second traffic pattern change will happen along Route 206 before 2020. The intersection of Furnace Road and Route 206 will get a light, expect to be completed by the beginning of 2020, Mayor Asdal said earlier this year.

That intersection has proven to be particularly dangerous over the years. It's currently regulated only by a stop sign, and has no light, turn lane, or jug handle. Residents have been calling for a traffic light for years, but those calls earned new vigor in November 2018 when a grandmother and her 5-year-old granddaughter were killed in a crash.

The Township Council voted to approve a light at the intersection this May. The township will be responsible for a quarter of electrical instillation costs.