New Jersey

[chrisg69911]

Some new gantries and signs are going up at the 3/17 interchange in Rutherford/Lyndhurst https://imgur.com/a/gGsD3nC
This is the first one they've put up, another one is going in at the exit of 3 West to the service road and 17 North. Looks much better imo than the one that used to be there.

Lil update, two more gantries went up. Seems like they're doing the project two at a time. Interesting that they're now signing the service road with EXITS, even though they're just intersections. Orient Way doesn't even intersect the service road as it had already become Barrows Ave up there.

The two they're working now are at the Service road/rt17 north entrance ramp and rt17 north/rt 3 east entrance ramp. What still needs to be done is the rt17 south exit for the service road/local streets, the south end of the service road to 17, the two from rt 3 to rt 17, and 17 south to 3 west. There's also barely any signage for the service road 'exits', so that'll prolly get added in too

[roadman65]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5FFXU4XDyo7EhqFi7
I see widening of US 206 is shown in the latest Street View.

I am assuming that the Hillsborough Bypass and the current four lane section will be connected.  However, no work at the Norfolk- Southern Railway is shown.  Are they going to just have for lanes narrow to two and widen back to four?  Or is another project later to commence to replace the railroad overpass?

[roadman65]

quote author=chrisg69911 link=msg=2946688 date=1728748041]

Some new gantries and signs are going up at the 3/17 interchange in Rutherford/Lyndhurst https://imgur.com/a/gGsD3nC
This is the first one they've put up, another one is going in at the exit of 3 West to the service road and 17 North. Looks much better imo than the one that used to be there.

Lil update, two more gantries went up. Seems like they're doing the project two at a time. Interesting that they're now signing the service road with EXITS, even though they're just intersections. Orient Way doesn't even intersect the service road as it had already become Barrows Ave up there.

The two they're working now are at the Service road/rt17 north entrance ramp and rt17 north/rt 3 east entrance ramp. What still needs to be done is the rt17 south exit for the service road/local streets, the south end of the service road to 17, the two from rt 3 to rt 17, and 17 south to 3 west. There's also barely any signage for the service road 'exits', so that'll prolly get added in too
[/quote]


I still say this, don't sign US 22 for both directions at NB Exit 140. Let locals decide for themselves how to facilitate the missing moves. Place an East banner above the US 22 shield with a TO above NJ 82.

Southbound you still have Ingersoll Terrace and NJ 82 to make the u turn, but in regards to the hairpin left on Vauxhall that should be considered by NJTA as an idea.

[chrisg69911]

NJDOT has a stash of attenuators at the ready since this one gets hit so much. You can also see they used to have sand barrels there and instead of hauling the scraps away they just dumped it behind the guardrail, which now has plants growing on it. Given that this one gets hit so often, I wanna know what prompted the DOT to close the Chester Ave/Riverside Ave (which still has its signs up) and not this one.

[jeffandnicole]

NJDOT has a stash of attenuators at the ready since this one gets hit so much. You can also see they used to have sand barrels there and instead of hauling the scraps away they just dumped it behind the guardrail, which now has plants growing on it. Given that this one gets hit so often, I wanna know what prompted the DOT to close the Chester Ave/Riverside Ave (which still has its signs up) and not this one.

The annenuators appear related to the construction equipment there on sight and have nothing to do with needing them nearby for quick replacements. The current one also has a different reflector plate design on the front for the division of traffic, rather than the mono-direction plate on the ones by the construction equipment.

[storm2k]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5FFXU4XDyo7EhqFi7
I see widening of US 206 is shown in the latest Street View.

I am assuming that the Hillsborough Bypass and the current four lane section will be connected.  However, no work at the Norfolk- Southern Railway is shown.  Are they going to just have for lanes narrow to two and widen back to four?  Or is another project later to commence to replace the railroad overpass?

Correct, the widening will go to the bypass, but 206 will continue to exit off the bypass and go through Hillsborough, at least for now. Still think they should get the route moved so through traffic between Princeton and Somerville doesn't go through the commercial strip in Hillsborough, but no idea if it will happen.

Also, no work has started on the railroad bridge, at least not yet. I believe that was separated into its own project to get it to Brown Ave where it can meet the original widening project that was finished in 1999.

[roadman65]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5FFXU4XDyo7EhqFi7
I see widening of US 206 is shown in the latest Street View.

I am assuming that the Hillsborough Bypass and the current four lane section will be connected.  However, no work at the Norfolk- Southern Railway is shown.  Are they going to just have for lanes narrow to two and widen back to four?  Or is another project later to commence to replace the railroad overpass?

Correct, the widening will go to the bypass, but 206 will continue to exit off the bypass and go through Hillsborough, at least for now. Still think they should get the route moved so through traffic between Princeton and Somerville doesn't go through the commercial strip in Hillsborough, but no idea if it will happen.

Also, no work has started on the railroad bridge, at least not yet. I believe that was separated into its own project to get it to Brown Ave where it can meet the original widening project that was finished in 1999.

I also read that there was a 14 month hold on the 206 widening over insurance. I believe NJDOT let the contractor go, and it took that long to find a suitable replacement.

[Alps]

https://www.facebook.com/100046220572257/posts/1126141828936492/

Any ideas here?

[Roadgeek2500]

https://www.facebook.com/100046220572257/posts/1126141828936492/

Any ideas here?

Commenter on the post said US-1 At Green St in Woodbridge and they would be correct.

[NJRoadfan]

That circle lasted into the 80s! It hanging on in 1984 and gone by 1987.

[roadman65]

That's looking West from high above US 9.

[roadman65]

612 US-206
https://maps.app.goo.gl/pCySqPkaab6Sdove9?g_st=ac
I'm actually seeing the logic in this mileage sign being posted where it is as it's not the usual location which is after an intersection.

As scary as this is, I believe NJDOT placed it going into the circle so that it wouldn't confuse motorists on US 202 as north of the Somerville Circle both 202 and 206 concur. 

Yet for years before the Bridgewater Commons Mall got built a mileage sign was placed north of US 22 that listed distances to Bedminster, Morristown, and Netcong there and it didn't create confusion.

Ditto at the Flemington Circle on US 202 SB entering that intersection had up until recently a mileage sign for both Lambertville and Solebury, PA.  Again IS 202 becomes concurrent with NJ 31 South of that intersection. I believe the twisted logic that makes sense was to install it there so it wouldn't confuse motorists on Route 31 South that neither visits each city.  However, this assembly got removed (as seen in GSV) for whatever reason

Again, they could have posted a mileage sign  South of the Flemington Circle to just list Lambertville and Trenton to aid both US 202 and NJ 31 travelers that wouldn't be confusing at all

[roadman65]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=876101697998991&set=a.419200657022433&type=3
Blast from the past. Current west end of NJ 10 in Roxbury in earlier years was the Ledgewood Circle.

[bzakharin]

Just found this Betsy Ross Bridge shield on northbound US 130 by browsing GSV:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.973499,-75.0373162,3a,15y,70.65h,101.65t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1slIeLovduzOThcrImgJZT6Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-11.64818613801765%26panoid%3DlIeLovduzOThcrImgJZT6Q%26yaw%3D70.64997639152756!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTEwNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

As far as I know, it's one of a kind. No other approaches to the bridge from any direction use it. Even the sign you can see in the distance spells out "Betsy Ross Br". According to GSV it was installed sometime between 2009 and 2012. The old sign spelled out "Betsy Ross Br" and did not have a separate section for NJ 90 East. Is that an official shield? If so, are there, or have there been shields like this for other DRPA bridges?

[hurricanehink]

https://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/2024/11/nj-election-day-2024-gloucester-county-live-results.html

Looks like Glassboro narrowly voted down the current plans for the US 322 bypass, but they also narrowly approved the proposed train line to Camden. Not sure how long the above link will last, but since this was a public election and is public info, I hope it's OK to paste:

Public Question #1: Route 322 Bypass Project

Do you support the construction of the "Route 322 Bypass Project" in Glassboro as it is presented with the current plans of construction?

Yes — 3,410

No — 3,659

Public Question #2: Glassboro Line Light Rail Transit System

Do you support the construction of the proposed Glassboro Line light rail transit system?

Yes — 3,819

No — 3,270

[roadman65]

It's worded where they can try again with a different proposal, but it's not my worry if they do or don't.

However, it be interesting if they tried.

[Mr. Matté]

Anyone have more information about what the current plans of construction are for that Glassboro 322 bypass? All I found in terms of a plan was this 2018 map from the county's redevelopment plan:


https://322partnership.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/190419_Rowan-West-Redev-Plan_complete.pdf

[jeffandnicole]

https://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/2024/11/nj-election-day-2024-gloucester-county-live-results.html

Looks like Glassboro narrowly voted down the current plans for the US 322 bypass, but they also narrowly approved the proposed train line to Camden...

It should be noted these were *non-binding* votes, in which the votes gauge opinion but the result of the vote doesn't necessarily allow or disallow a project to continue, especially as they aren't the only municipality involved in both projects.

For the US 322 Bypass, the vote was to approve a certain path of the bypass (the yellow-green line on Mr. Matte's image above).  Due to already known opposition, that path was eliminated from discussion, so the vote wasn't really approving anything.  The road indicated by the red line in the image is already built - that's CR 641 SPUR (albeit on a slightly different alignment than originally proposed) (also given a low 35 mph limit for no reason).  The newer plan is to encourage trucks to use NJ 55's Exit 48 (CR 641) and passenger cars to use the newly built CR 641 SPUR.

For the Gloucester County Light Rail Project (GCL), Glassboro is the end of the proposed line, and they probably would benefit a bit more from it. Near the other end of the line, Brooklawn also had a similar non-binding vote, which failed by about the same margin.  Previously, at least 3 other towns had non-binding votes in previous years, all of which failed by more significant margins.  For the supporters of the line, they have often had unrealistic high hopes for the line.  I've noted on various social media platforms and some publications many of the supporters think the line will start construction in the next year or two, and operational by 2028.  These timelines have come and gone for many years.  At one point, a few people thought the line was actually being built - before any planning or design of the line occurred.  And as much as it's been asked, no one has actually said how much it'll cost to be built.  Back around 2009, it was quoted the line would be $1.6 - $1.8 Billion.  Supporters still use those figures, even though 15 years later costs would have obviously gone up.  The current funding is from the SJTA - when they last raised tolls in 2020, much of the toll increase was to fund the various studies and planning of this line.  Again - an action pretty much forced upon the agency.  Any money being spent now is lining pockets until they can find an actual funding source to build the line.

[roadman65]

I remember once a freeway bypass was proposed, but it was shot down. In that would have began at the Commodore Barry Bridge and offered the route a freeway alignment all the way to Williamstown.

So obviously it's needed. However, NIMBYs will stop anything even if it's an arterial.

[roadman65]

Does anyone know if the ACE has mileage signs other than the Philadelphia 52 Mi leaving Atlantic City?

I know both the Turnpike and Parkway have been adding them slowly, but the ACE hasn't even replaced many of guides in decades with many all upper case and some like the WB exit to the Parkway South without an at exit guide.

So it's a valid question as I've yet clinched it all West of ACY airport. Perhaps next month I may have the chance.

[storm2k]

Curiosity question. Now that the work on widening 206 in Hillsborough is getting back off the ground, what's the money situation there? I see in the 2025 STIP that there isn't any money dedicated for it. In the 2024-33 10 year STIP, I see there was a bit of money for 2024 that was supposed to be for finishing up the southern part of the project (Doctors Way to Valley Rd), and then a huge allocation in 2026 for the northern part of it (Valley Rd to Brown Ave), a lot of which is I'm sure going to the railroad bridge replacement since that will be an expensive part of the project. I drove thru there today yet again and there is still a huge amount of work to be done before that southern section of widening is complete. Is previously allocated money for all of that just sitting in the bank somewhere and already accounted for and will just be spent going into 2025 now that construction is getting back on track? That's my assumption, but was just curious.

Also, for the 206 Bypass. Are there actual provisions for the super 2 part to ever be upgraded to a full four lanes? It seems like the ROW there, especially the overpasses, would be a case of jamming a second lane in there by completely eliminating the median and the outside shoulder. It reminds me a lot of the 33 Bypass in Freehold which will likely be permanent Super 2 through that eastern section that only got built in the late 90s/early 00s. If this is the case, it seems kinda shortsighted, but I guess this was what it took to get the bypass done after all the years of fighting about it (especially when the southern end got moved north of where it should have gone).

[roadman65]

I noticed that the NJ Turnpike in Secaucus appears in the opening credits of the sixties sitcom That Girl as a camera mounted on the front of the train on the Northeast Corridor features the road off to the side.

However someone on line pointed out that the cars on the Turnpike are moving backwards in that sequence. Sure enough I noticed that too on watching a YouTube clip of the show. Plus I often wondered about why the train is using the left track over the right one as usually the railroads follow the rules of the road keeping right unless a certain track is closed for maintenance.

Obviously the train is moving the opposite way with a camera mounted on its aft car and they reversed the footage.

However I find that in interesting as I never noticed that in the show as I'm not that into detail.  Plus you really have to look. Unless your some users on here who would notice that like the one who took time off his busy schedule to search all the Al on social media to discredit my character when I posted a friend of mine statement that turned out to be him copying and pasting a social media paragraph to please me as he's non road geek trying to fit in with me and my ignorance got in the way of not realizing what he was up to.

Anyway, rather than start a thread on it it is related to New Jersey and shows an important road there, I would post it here.

[ctnaes]

Control city question: when 29 turns into I-195 E leaving Trenton, why is the control city Belmar? Wouldn't it make more sense to be New York? Especially given the old gap in I-95 would direct you to pick up the NJ Turnpike via 195 to get to NY.

The control city should be NY up until the Turnpike exit on 195, then it should be Belmar.

[storm2k]

Control city question: when 29 turns into I-195 E leaving Trenton, why is the control city Belmar? Wouldn't it make more sense to be New York? Especially given the old gap in I-95 would direct you to pick up the NJ Turnpike via 195 to get to NY.

The control city should be NY up until the Turnpike exit on 195, then it should be Belmar.

195 has resumed being more for in-state local traffic now that 95 is routed thru the PA and NJ Turnpikes. And since NJDOT has moved away from "Shore Points" as a control "city" means that Belmar is a better choice for the entire route. There are "To 95/Turnpike" shields along the way which is enough.

[jeffandnicole]

Control city question: when 29 turns into I-195 E leaving Trenton, why is the control city Belmar? Wouldn't it make more sense to be New York? Especially given the old gap in I-95 would direct you to pick up the NJ Turnpike via 195 to get to NY.

The control city should be NY up until the Turnpike exit on 195, then it should be Belmar.

Usually (and yes, there are occasional exceptions), the control city is a town directly along the route.  Even with I-195's case, I-195 never actually reaches Belmar; one needs to continue on NJ 138 & NJ 35 first.  Same is true WB also.  Control City is Trenton; I-195 never enters Trenton.

The gap was closed 6 years ago and is irrelevant now.