New Jersey

[BrianP]

Bridge over PATCO in Lindenwold closed, needs to be replaced

At least they are catching bridge problems before a failure.  But like the I-495 bridge problem this one was not found by a routine inspection.  On the bright side they can build a replacement bridge that's four lanes wide since White Horse Road is four lanes on either side of the bridge.  I remember when this bridge was striped to be only two lanes. 

[storm2k]

The bridge structure it's on is NJDOT, where NJ-57 and NJ-182 meet.  I've reported to both NJDOT and the county but nothing's been done about the SOUTH and/or the 24 shield.

Dammit, just leave it.

Agreed!! I do love finding the occasional 24 shield along old parts of the route. I know there used to be a few along 510 east of Chester. Haven't driven that way in several years so I don't know if they're still there, but I know the road is still (at least informally) referred to as Rt 24.

[_Simon]

I asked them to add an "OLD" banner and change the "SOUTH" to "EAST".  I didn't ask them to take it down.

[roadman65]

Should New Jersey look into and perhaps build an interchange at North Bridge Street along I-287 in Bridgewater, NJ near Somerville?  My thinking is yes being Somerville is a major point in North Central Jersey and not to mention the County Seat of Somerset.  It deserves to have an exit ramp directly serving its Downtown area as currently you must use either US 202 & 206 from Exit 17 going SB or using Exit 12 to NJ 28 West going NB which are both indirect ways to the borough's main center from the interstate.

Even another partial interchange at Foothill Road nearby just west of Exit 13 for US 22 would help SB I-287 gain access to the Findern Avenue corridor as well as provide the missing movements from SB I-287 to WB US 22 that are currently missing there as well as allowing EB US 22 access to NB I-287 along with Manville having better access to I-287 in the whole entire process.

What does anyone think about these proposals?

[NJRoadfan]

the SB I-287 to WB US-22 movement is served by US-202-206. Somerville can be accessed via NJ-28.

[roadman65]

the SB I-287 to WB US-22 movement is served by US-202-206. Somerville can be accessed via NJ-28.

Yes it does, but to get to Downtown from SB requires you to use 202 & 206 and then EB on 28 going around (and through) the notorious Somerville Circle.  From NB it was always easier for me when taking Rose home from work (back when I worked at Campus Drive in Somerset) to exit at US 22 WB and take to N. Bridge Street and then follow the street to the south of US 22 to Davenport Street to take her home.  She lived where NJ 28 veers off of Main Street and even that way was too many turns.  Yes it would still be the same being the complexity of the US 22/ N. Bridge Street interchange would still be navigated if 287 had a an exit there, but SB for sure it would be easier.

[Alps]

if you buy all the houses,
TAKE IT TO FICTIONAL HIGHWAYS.

thanks

[Zeffy]

Should New Jersey look into and perhaps build an interchange at North Bridge Street along I-287 in Bridgewater, NJ near Somerville?  My thinking is yes being Somerville is a major point in North Central Jersey and not to mention the County Seat of Somerset.  It deserves to have an exit ramp directly serving its Downtown area as currently you must use either US 202 & 206 from Exit 17 going SB or using Exit 12 to NJ 28 West going NB which are both indirect ways to the borough's main center from the interstate.

Finally, someone else gives Somerville some recognition. I feel like since it's such a small town (I think it's 10k population, maybe less?) it's not recognized; as a resident of Somerset County, I feel like that's bullshit! It's a great town, and I love the downtown area. Coming from Bridgewater or points north of Somerville, my option is to take every back road possible if need be to avoid using the damned Somerville Circle. I'll use it when it's not full of traffic, but most of the times I'd just avoid it. I do agree that NJ 28 serves Somerville pretty well though, considering it's Main Street within the borough for a short time.

[storm2k]

Should New Jersey look into and perhaps build an interchange at North Bridge Street along I-287 in Bridgewater, NJ near Somerville?  My thinking is yes being Somerville is a major point in North Central Jersey and not to mention the County Seat of Somerset.  It deserves to have an exit ramp directly serving its Downtown area as currently you must use either US 202 & 206 from Exit 17 going SB or using Exit 12 to NJ 28 West going NB which are both indirect ways to the borough's main center from the interstate.

Even another partial interchange at Foothill Road nearby just west of Exit 13 for US 22 would help SB I-287 gain access to the Findern Avenue corridor as well as provide the missing movements from SB I-287 to WB US 22 that are currently missing there as well as allowing EB US 22 access to NB I-287 along with Manville having better access to I-287 in the whole entire process.

What does anyone think about these proposals?

The Finderne Ave corridor (and trips to Manville and points south) are perfectly handled by Exit 13 as is. First off, there is absolutely nowhere to fit in an interchange with Foothill Rd and it would just get tangled up as is with all the traffic trying to move to get off at Exit 14. I don't see how a direct exit to N Bridge St would be all that useful. It would put you on the Bridgewater side of the road, and you'd still have to navigate through over 22 to get to the downtown area of Somerville. Taking Exit 17 going southbound and getting off at Commons Way or taking Exit 14B northbound and taking 22 West to either N Bridge serve the amount of traffic going to there just fine. Anyway, if you take a look at a map of the area I don't see there being enough real estate to put in ramps without them either being super tightly woven in or left-handed, neither of which is desirable. Somerville is a great town (I grew up right next door in the Dirty 'Derne and went to both grade and high school there) but there's no real need to add more road connections. If anything, looking into ways to take the circle apart would be far more useful than extemporaneous ramps from 287 that don't put you much closer than you already are.

[roadman65]

Agreed the Circle needs to go!  I have had ideas of my own to build flyovers to take out the US 206 traffic for it, but for NJ 28 cut it through the center like US 1 & 9 through Bayway or Eisenhower Parkway through Livingston and use signals for that movement. 

That and building an overpass for N. Gaston Avenue on US 22 would be a novice idea as recently NJDOT prevented you from making full left turns there.  Now WB traffic must use the North Bridge Street tangle to make a u turn  to return to it and going EB you must proceed to the Adamsville Road turnaround and come back WB to NB Gaston.

At least Chimney Rock Road they are addressing, but Somerset County is flipping the bill for that one and not NJ.  Being you have the industrial park located there, plus the TD Bank Ballfields, and the new shopping center where Cyanimid used to be, the county feels its a worthwhile investment.  That will be all nice when completed.

[storm2k]

Agreed the Circle needs to go!  I have had ideas of my own to build flyovers to take out the US 206 traffic for it, but for NJ 28 cut it through the center like US 1 & 9 through Bayway or Eisenhower Parkway through Livingston and use signals for that movement. 

That and building an overpass for N. Gaston Avenue on US 22 would be a novice idea as recently NJDOT prevented you from making full left turns there.  Now WB traffic must use the North Bridge Street tangle to make a u turn  to return to it and going EB you must proceed to the Adamsville Road turnaround and come back WB to NB Gaston.

At least Chimney Rock Road they are addressing, but Somerset County is flipping the bill for that one and not NJ.  Being you have the industrial park located there, plus the TD Bank Ballfields, and the new shopping center where Cyanimid used to be, the county feels its a worthwhile investment.  That will be all nice when completed.

I think you can do it without more flyovers. I don't think there's a lot of room for more flyovers there without some serious landtakings. I agree that you run Rt 28 through the middle. I think you could route the Rt 206 ramps in such a way that a few traffic signals would do the job.

[bzakharin]

Why should NJ 28 cut through there and not US 206? 28 there is a local road with US 22 serving as the longer distance parallel. 206 is part of a long distance corridor that connects I-95/295/future 195 to I-287, in other words Philadelphia and southern NJ to northern NJ and upstate NY  (as much as it shouldn't be. There really needs to be a freeway there, but that's another discussion).

[akotchi]

Geometry, most likely.  Route 28 is the easier roadway to cut through.  U.S. 206 on the north side is a pair of one-way ramps with the U.S. 202 overpass in between.  The geometry of the cut-through roadway would seem to be difficult. 

[roadman65]

Geometry, most likely.  Route 28 is the easier roadway to cut through.  U.S. 206 on the north side is a pair of one-way ramps with the U.S. 202 overpass in between.  The geometry of the cut-through roadway would seem to be difficult. 

Agreed, US 206 would be most difficult to make the straight through route with US 202 already being there.  Yes, the flyovers would take away homes and the strip malls.  I did not say it would be easy to accomplish, I am only just saying that this would be the only alternative to solve the circle issue unless you build a new US 206 somewhere else to bypass Somerville/ Bridgewater. 

That or add signals to NJ 28 cut through, and time the lights longer for US 206 traffic would also work.

[storm2k]

Geometry, most likely.  Route 28 is the easier roadway to cut through.  U.S. 206 on the north side is a pair of one-way ramps with the U.S. 202 overpass in between.  The geometry of the cut-through roadway would seem to be difficult. 

Agreed, US 206 would be most difficult to make the straight through route with US 202 already being there.  Yes, the flyovers would take away homes and the strip malls.  I did not say it would be easy to accomplish, I am only just saying that this would be the only alternative to solve the circle issue unless you build a new US 206 somewhere else to bypass Somerville/ Bridgewater. 

That or add signals to NJ 28 cut through, and time the lights longer for US 206 traffic would also work.

The amount of land that would be required would be a total nonstarter. AFIAC, it's a total nonstarter. I'm not saying the geometry is perfect for making something happen, but there has to be a way to make it work.

[Zeffy]

There's no way the owners of the strip mall north of the circle would allow any of their land to be used. I wish this could be a signalized intersection, but I truly honestly don't know how you could make that work.

[Alps]

US 206 is really suffering from the non-construction of I-95 in this area, and far too much obstruction to connecting whatever improvements there are. 206 was cut through the street grid back when that was feasible, but development has filled in any possible location for improvements.

[J Route Z]

Bridge over PATCO in Lindenwold closed, needs to be replaced

At least they are catching bridge problems before a failure.  But like the I-495 bridge problem this one was not found by a routine inspection.  On the bright side they can build a replacement bridge that's four lanes wide since White Horse Road is four lanes on either side of the bridge.  I remember when this bridge was striped to be only two lanes.

The PATCO bridge carrying White Horse Road connecting Voorhees and Lindenwold is in dire need of replacement. We used to cross it all the time, whether going to the train station or coming from the White Horse Pike. I happen to take a look at the underside of the bridge and I noticed cracks and rust everywhere. The closure of this major road will cause trouble to the hundreds of people that use it each day. I wonder what detour is set in place. Also, White Horse Road needs a repaving too. The bridge near Woodcrest Station also was being repaired. As for the Route 495 bridge, this is a future viaduct project and I cannot wait until it is replaced. There is a huge metal grate sticking out of the roadway (eastbound) and causes some serious damage to your tires. I believe it's the bridge over a ramp from Route 3. I have reported this to the DOT but nothing has been done yet.

[roadman65]

I am looking here http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/rt27.shtm and it is not showing the speed limits for NJ 27 inside the City of Newark.  Has NJ 27 been truncated to the Elizabeth- Newark City Line?

[Alps]

I am looking here http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/rt27.shtm and it is not showing the speed limits for NJ 27 inside the City of Newark.  Has NJ 27 been truncated to the Elizabeth- Newark City Line?

no

[roadman65]

I did not think so.  However, it is odd that in the document that NJDOT did not mention either that the section north of Elizabeth is not local jurisdiction.  Take a look at NJ 33 for example, as its speed limit page clearly states that NJ 33 from milepost zero to just over one mile is under the City of Trenton for jurisdiction or that NJ 28 inside Plainfield is also the City of Plainfield.

Either way NJDOT forgot to publish either the Speed Limits in Newark for NJ 27 or state that State jurisdiction ends at the Newark City Limit and continues as municipal.

[Zeffy]

I saw what looked like a construction site for the US 206 interchange on I-95 north of Trenton, right after Exit 8. So far, my searches on what the hell it could be is turning up nothing. Anyone know of anything happening in this area? It was off to the right of the ramp for US 206 North towards Somerville.

[Mr. Matté]

I saw what looked like a construction site for the US 206 interchange on I-95 north of Trenton, right after Exit 8. So far, my searches on what the hell it could be is turning up nothing. Anyone know of anything happening in this area? It was off to the right of the ramp for US 206 North towards Somerville.

Small townhouse development off of CR 546. My company has an involvement in that site though my only involvement was drawing the drainage area map.


Switching over to the Route 27 question, it should be noted that the section of the route through Newark has no NJDOT-style signs (like "NO STOPPING OR STANDING" with the short arrows) and the traffic light blades are just the Newark-spec with a circle 27 on black.

[jeffandnicole]

I did not think so.  However, it is odd that in the document that NJDOT did not mention either that the section north of Elizabeth is not local jurisdiction.  Take a look at NJ 33 for example, as its speed limit page clearly states that NJ 33 from milepost zero to just over one mile is under the City of Trenton for jurisdiction or that NJ 28 inside Plainfield is also the City of Plainfield.

Either way NJDOT forgot to publish either the Speed Limits in Newark for NJ 27 or state that State jurisdiction ends at the Newark City Limit and continues as municipal.

Essex County begins at MP 35.8.  It appears that Essex County's portion of 27 was excluded from the list available online.  My guess is just an innocent error.

[Alps]

I saw what looked like a construction site for the US 206 interchange on I-95 north of Trenton, right after Exit 8. So far, my searches on what the hell it could be is turning up nothing. Anyone know of anything happening in this area? It was off to the right of the ramp for US 206 North towards Somerville.

Small townhouse development off of CR 546. My company has an involvement in that site though my only involvement was drawing the drainage area map.


Switching over to the Route 27 question, it should be noted that the section of the route through Newark has no NJDOT-style signs (like "NO STOPPING OR STANDING" with the short arrows) and the traffic light blades are just the Newark-spec with a circle 27 on black.

Newark maintains its own signals, and this just confirms that it maintains 27 inside its boundaries as well.