New Jersey

[Alps]

STOP POLLUTING THE THREAD
Two exciting discoveries today.
NJ 61 - a route I never knew existed (now 161)
Essex County's original route numbers - EDITS - figured out the missing bits, I think. Review still welcome, just provide evidence

[Roadrunner75]

One thing that doesn't happen every day is a true road widening project by NJDOT.  However, they are planning on doing one with NJ's Route 66 (not to be confused with some other famous Route 66).

It's not the longest widening project in the world...it'll consist of about 1.5 mile of dualizing a current 1 lane-per-direction roadway.  This stretch is between sections of Rt. 66 which are already 2 lanes in each direction. 

One thing that helps is that the Right of Way has always existed for a widening.  The only ROW needed will be for a stormwater detention basin. 

Construction is projected to start in 2019.

News Release: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/meetings/documents/handout102115rt.pdf

Map of General Area: https://goo.gl/maps/B5djRKKsDjC2

It's about time as they've been talking about this for awhile.  I'll probably go to that meeting.  Still waiting for a widening of NJ 35 from 70/34 to 138 through Wall Township to come up on the radar, which sorely needs it.

[storm2k]

Large sinkhole on N.J. highway ramp causes closures, police say

The ramp in question is Ramp D from 23 SB to 287 SB, which is closed due to a large sinkhole which caused a pavement collapse.

[cpzilliacus]

N.Y. Times: New Jersey Transportation Chief to Leave Amid Federal Inquiry

New Jersey's transportation commissioner, who has been the subject of questions in a federal inquiry into dealings between United Airlines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will leave the job by the end of the month, Gov. Chris Christie announced on Friday.

The commissioner, Jamie Fox, has long been a fixture of New Jersey politics, serving in the same position in the administration of former Gov. James E. McGreevey. Between those stints, Mr. Fox was a lobbyist for prominent clients, including United.

The United States attorney's office in Newark is investigating whether United reinstated flights to a South Carolina airport close to the weekend home of David Samson, the former Port Authority chairman, in exchange for concessions the airline sought from the agency. Mr. Samson is said to have raised the issue with United officials at a dinner that Mr. Fox attended in Manhattan in September 2011.

[Zeffy]

The US 22 and Chimney Rock Road Interchange is now officially open!

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2015/10/06/route-22-interchange-opens/73374028/

[storm2k]

The US 22 and Chimney Rock Road Interchange is now officially open!

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2015/10/06/route-22-interchange-opens/73374028/

Nice! I have to head that way this weekend, I will make sure to check it out.

[roadman65]

I like the fact that New York comes before Newark on the new guide signs for SB Chimney Rock Road.  Also its still uppercase lettering as New Jersey has gone MUTCD and for some time has been adding mix cased signing even on LGS replacements.

[jeffandnicole]

While not exactly road related here, I threw this in the NJ section anyway...

The NJ State Library in Trenton has a series of speakers that comes in every few weeks or so to discuss a NJ related topic.  Past discussions have included items such as the History of the New Jersey Turnpike.  In a few weeks, the presentation will touch on another NJ institution found among our roads...Diners.

The next author talk is on October 21st from noon to 1 p.m. and is about New Jersey's diners. Universally known as the Diner Capital of the World, New Jersey's highways and main streets are brightened by the silver Airstreams and neon signs of the classic American diner. Join us as Michael Gabriele shares memories of New Jersey diners as well as interviews with owners, patrons and experts.
 
All are welcome to this free program. RSVP is appreciated. Please respond to Cindy Warrick at 609-278-2640 ext. 172 or cwarrick@njstatelib.org.

[storm2k]

Some pictures from the new 22/Chimney Rock Rd interchange:

EB:





WB:




Some notes:
-Interesting that the shields all have backplates, even though other signs on 22WB at 287 that were replaced first do not (see last photo).
-Don't know why they really need to call it the 22 Service Rd. It's really just for the exit, and traffic coming in from 287NB.
-No mention of CR-525 on the Thompson Ave signs, but Chimney Rock Rd signs all have CR-675 shields, even though state guidelines call for not signing 6XX routes.
-22EB still shows New York as control city even though the signs on 287 (correctly) show Newark.
-Thompson Ave onramp to 22EB now has no merge. That's a welcome improvement.

[Alps]

There are three holes in NJ state route numbering: 16, 86, 89. I have to think they were proposed for various routes at one time, especially 16. I'm more convinced since I discovered 61. Thoughts?

[noelbotevera]

There are three holes in NJ state route numbering: 16, 86, 89. I have to think they were proposed for various routes at one time, especially 16. I'm more convinced since I discovered 61. Thoughts?

16 was once US 122, then US 202. It became US 122 in 1927, then sometime in the 50s or so it became US 202.

Other than that, 86 and 89 haven't been used for anything yet. It seems they never were used since NJ made their route system.

[Alps]

There are three holes in NJ state route numbering: 16, 86, 89. I have to think they were proposed for various routes at one time, especially 16. I'm more convinced since I discovered 61. Thoughts?

16 was once US 122, then US 202. It became US 122 in 1927, then sometime in the 50s or so it became US 202.

Other than that, 86 and 89 haven't been used for anything yet. It seems they never were used since NJ made their route system.

I'm not looking at the original pre-1927 system. Post-1927 when everything was renumbered, 1-12 were in the northern part of the state and then it started again at 20. Here's what happened chronologically:
* 13 was assigned to CR 13N in Ocean
* 17 was assigned to 2 to match NY
* 15 was assigned to S6 and 18 was assigned to S28 (1953 renumbering)
* 14 was assigned to a proposed Bergen County freeway
* 19 was assigned to the leftover piece of 20 (1988)

As you can see, there's no reason why 16 should necessarily have existed, but it's then the only number in the bottom 85 with no story. We only discovered 14 a few years ago thanks to a single newspaper article from the 1960s. It's possible that 16 hides in a similarly obscure place for a similarly obscure proposal.

[NJRoadfan]

Its likely the backplate-less signs came from a contractor while the eastbound signs were all from NJDOT's sign shop. They have been posting new signs with the back plate still.

[roadman65]

Why is I-287 still being signed to u turn at Thompson Avenue?  Now with the Chimney Rock exit you can u turn there much easier and less fuel to burn for your money and to also cut down on pollution.

I know that some may argue that the I-287 shields are not needed at all even at the Thompson exit because US 202 & 206 is the connection going EB, but I think the reasoning was for those patronizing businesses along US 22 between US 202 & 206 and I-287 who need to access I-287 northbound as well as those entering US 22 from Finderne Avenue and Foothill Road which intersects the EB lanes of US 22 right after the I-287 Southbound exit.   Plus you travel I-287 N Bound and you exit at US 22 to lodge at either the Red Bull Inn or the Days Inn, or eat at the Bridgewater Diner (or whatever name it goes by nowadays), you now have no way to get back onto I-287 N Bound due to the lack of EB to NB connection, so that sign is guidance for those motorists as well.

[Mr. Matté]

Is the DOT starting to put rumble strips on the shoulders of non-freeways now? I took a ride through Hunterdon County on my bike and along about 5 miles of Route 12, they're there complete with rocks and gravel all over the shoulder. I also know Zeffy's favorite road the US 206 bypass also has them. There hasn't been any information online that indeed states they're being actively added in the shoulders.

[jeffandnicole]

Is the DOT starting to put rumble strips on the shoulders of non-freeways now? I took a ride through Hunterdon County on my bike and along about 5 miles of Route 12, they're there complete with rocks and gravel all over the shoulder. I also know Zeffy's favorite road the US 206 bypass also has them. There hasn't been any information online that indeed states they're being actively added in the shoulders.

NJ 347 (and some areas of the southern portion of 47, I believe) has had shoulder rumble strips for several years. They seem to be installed in a case-by-case basis, when they feel they are necessary.

[Mr. Matté]

347 is county-maintained, I've seen other Cumberland County roads with such rumble strips (Warren too). I did submit a complaint to the website about the dirty shoulders and a really rough section of 29 right where a recent repaving ended but I don't expect any action or reply (maybe I'll have to write another letter to Linda Greenstein even though those two are WAY out of her district). I did notice that the traffic light at US 1/546 ped countdown that I mentioned in another thread was fixed.

[storm2k]

Why is I-287 still being signed to u turn at Thompson Avenue?  Now with the Chimney Rock exit you can u turn there much easier and less fuel to burn for your money and to also cut down on pollution.

I know that some may argue that the I-287 shields are not needed at all even at the Thompson exit because US 202 & 206 is the connection going EB, but I think the reasoning was for those patronizing businesses along US 22 between US 202 & 206 and I-287 who need to access I-287 northbound as well as those entering US 22 from Finderne Avenue and Foothill Road which intersects the EB lanes of US 22 right after the I-287 Southbound exit.   Plus you travel I-287 N Bound and you exit at US 22 to lodge at either the Red Bull Inn or the Days Inn, or eat at the Bridgewater Diner (or whatever name it goes by nowadays), you now have no way to get back onto I-287 N Bound due to the lack of EB to NB connection, so that sign is guidance for those motorists as well.

The 287 shield is a holdover. They didn't really remove any signs there, just added the ground mount BGS without the CR-525 shield.

[roadman65]

Well they really should move the I-287 shield to the new exit, or eliminate the new county route shield and attach a I-287 shield to it instead.

[Alps]

Is the DOT starting to put rumble strips on the shoulders of non-freeways now? I took a ride through Hunterdon County on my bike and along about 5 miles of Route 12, they're there complete with rocks and gravel all over the shoulder. I also know Zeffy's favorite road the US 206 bypass also has them. There hasn't been any information online that indeed states they're being actively added in the shoulders.

There is a big push to go all PennDOT on the highways and even to do centerline rumble strips in far too many locations with no known crash history of crossovers. I don't know why the nanny state is winning, but I do know we just lost Jamie Fox, so maybe things will get better (maybe)*.
* Not sure he has and doesn't have anything to do with it.

[storm2k]

Well they really should move the I-287 shield to the new exit, or eliminate the new county route shield and attach a I-287 shield to it instead.

287 doesn't need to be signed at either location, really. This is only about a mile after the 287 SB exit and NJDOT has 287 NB signed to use the 202/206 NB exit a few miles prior (which makes good sense). This only really made sense for people using the businesses along the side of 22 to get back to 287, and with the reconfiguration, they're on the service road or on Chimney Rock so that's where the signs should be.

[bzakharin]

Well they really should move the I-287 shield to the new exit, or eliminate the new county route shield and attach a I-287 shield to it instead.

287 doesn't need to be signed at either location, really. This is only about a mile after the 287 SB exit and NJDOT has 287 NB signed to use the 202/206 NB exit a few miles prior (which makes good sense). This only really made sense for people using the businesses along the side of 22 to get back to 287, and with the reconfiguration, they're on the service road or on Chimney Rock so that's where the signs should be.

The few times I've used businesses along 22, it was very confusing which way to go on 22 to get back on 287. I seem to remember seeing 287 shields in both directions, so I followed one of them and did get on 287 eventually. Probably was shorter to go the other way (I don't remember which way I went). This was all before the new interchange, though.

[roadman65]

Actually I agree with you on that one. I-287 being signed at US 202/206 for I-287 was wonderful when they did that back in 1987 when that interchange was reconfigured so the mall could handle the increased traffic.  Before so there was no direct exit ramp to US 202 & 206 N Bound from US 22 E Bound.  There was one ramp to US 202 & 206 S Bound where it was signed for both as you made a quick U turn to go N Bound after you exited.  Anyway no signs for I-287 N Bound there in them days.  In fact the signs in question were there before the US 22 & 202/206 interchange improvements were made which made absolutely no sense to me.

However the businesses along US 22 that cater to I-287 motorists in the area do need the signs for the lack of movements there.  In my opinion a TO I-287 shield should be installed on NB Finderne Avenue at NJ 28 to help aide motorists to the interstate that just misses it by inches when it terminates at US 22 at a RIRO intersection.  Also a TO I-287 N Bound shield needs to be placed at Adamsville Road this way those who lodge at the Red Bull Inn do not have to make a double u turn to get back on the interstate.  Also its another second chance reminder just in case you missed the actual exit onto I-287 northbound previously.

Another question would be, why did NJDOT remove the movement to US 202 & 206 S Bound from US 22 E Bound?  Now to get to Somerville you must use Mountain Avenue to NJ 28 and for the two routes proper, you must exit at NJ 28 three miles in advance.  BTW NJDOT only installed the TO US 202 & 206 S Bound shields at NJ 28 years after the ramp was moved and not at completion of the new US 22 & US 202/206 interchange when the change was made. Also considering that part of that project was to add a NB to WB movement that did not exist before ( a u turn ramp was north of US 22 that aided in this previously) someone should have seen that this is the direct opposite of the flow and a bell should have went off in the project manager's head.

[Alps]

Found 2-digit circle 202 and 206 shields on the 22 EB-202/206 NB ramp today. Never took that ramp before.

[jeffandnicole]

The 2015 Version of the Straight Line Diagrams are now available on the NJDOT website.

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/