TEA-LU includes $3.2 million to improve County Road 85, also known as Western Boulevard, an alternate driving route to Route 9. The construction is for a two-lane, 2.2 mile road from Northern Boulevard to Route 9. The project will provide a missing link that allows drivers to bypass much of Route 9 traffic that forms in the highly developed and partly historic sections of Berkeley and Lacey Townships. The office of the county engineer has planned the project.

The House approved the conference bill, 412-8, and Senate passage is expected shortly.

TEA-LU authorizes federal transportation projects like the County Road 85 project for four years. It provides a total $284 billion in federal highway, transit and road safety funding through 2009. The legislation seeks to address problems of congestion, driver safety, and inefficient highway systems, and is expected to create of millions of new U.S. jobs in the transportation sector and related industries.

"Ocean County will receive $3.2 million over the next several years," Saxton said."The Ocean County Engineering Department has identified this road as in need of enhancements to improve traffic flow on Route 9.

"The county's transportation system is the heart of our daily commute to work, school or recreation," Saxton said. "Everyone knows that Route 9 is one of the busiest arteries in Ocean County, due to new homes and businesses. This project intends to relieve some of the congestion on Route 9."

Saxton worked closely with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young to add the funds to the bill. The project was added to the chairman's own amendment to TEA-LU, which passed out of the Transportation Committee in March. The final bill now goes to the Senate and is expected to be sent to the White House to be signed into law in this summer.