Jones Lang LaSalle
Rt. 1 widening to begin
Extra lanes to ease Edison-Woodbridge bottleneck
Home News Tribune Online 04/11/06
By GINA VERGEL
STAFF WRITER
gvergel@thnt.com
EDISON — The long-awaited widening of Route 1 between Interstate 287 and the Garden State Parkway will get under way this summer.
The 2.3-mile stretch will get two extra lanes and new jughandles in an $85 million expansion that will take three years to complete.
"It's a major project that will widen a major roadway," said state Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Erin Phalon. "We anticipate that it will severly alleviate congestion and improve safety."
Phalon said the DOT will widen Route 1 from north of Interstate 287 to south of the Garden State Parkway's intersection with Route 1 in Woodbridge.
Construction should begin in July, she added.
The stretch of highway to be widened is the narrow section of an "hourglass." Route 1 north of the Parkway and south of I-287 has been widened to three lanes in each direction. The section in-between is two lanes in each direction.
Traffic backs up on the narrow section daily, creating a stop-and-go nightmare for motorists.
It's particularly bad during heavy shopping seasons as motorists try to go from Woodbridge Center Mall to Menlo Park Mall — about one mile apart — along the congested highway.
Phalon said a travel lane with outside shoulders will be added to that stretch of Route 1 in both directions.
"We're going to provide jughandles at three signal-light intersections already there," said Phalon.
Woodbridge Mayor Frank G. Pelzman said he welcomes a project that can provide traffic relief to an always-congested Ford Avenue intersection.
"We been waiting for sometime for that area to be widened and some of those jughandles to be taken care of," Pelzman said yesterday. "That is quite a bottleneck with the Parkway coming off into Route 1 South. Our understanding of the intersection change looks like it will be very good for Woodbridge."
The project, which Phalon said will cost approximately $85 million, is slated for completion in July 2009.
Edison Mayor Jun Choi, who recently announced a host of traffic improvements for the township, was also pleased the DOT is moving to start the project this summer.
"I'm thrilled that the state Department of Transportation and Edison government can work hand in hand to relieve congestion in our community and make life a bit more pleasant for all of us," Choi said.
Rt. 1 widening to begin
Extra lanes to ease Edison-Woodbridge bottleneck
Home News Tribune Online 04/11/06
By GINA VERGEL
STAFF WRITER
gvergel@thnt.com
EDISON — The long-awaited widening of Route 1 between Interstate 287 and the Garden State Parkway will get under way this summer.
The 2.3-mile stretch will get two extra lanes and new jughandles in an $85 million expansion that will take three years to complete.
"It's a major project that will widen a major roadway," said state Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Erin Phalon. "We anticipate that it will severly alleviate congestion and improve safety."
Phalon said the DOT will widen Route 1 from north of Interstate 287 to south of the Garden State Parkway's intersection with Route 1 in Woodbridge.
Construction should begin in July, she added.
The stretch of highway to be widened is the narrow section of an "hourglass." Route 1 north of the Parkway and south of I-287 has been widened to three lanes in each direction. The section in-between is two lanes in each direction.
Traffic backs up on the narrow section daily, creating a stop-and-go nightmare for motorists.
It's particularly bad during heavy shopping seasons as motorists try to go from Woodbridge Center Mall to Menlo Park Mall — about one mile apart — along the congested highway.
Phalon said a travel lane with outside shoulders will be added to that stretch of Route 1 in both directions.
"We're going to provide jughandles at three signal-light intersections already there," said Phalon.
Woodbridge Mayor Frank G. Pelzman said he welcomes a project that can provide traffic relief to an always-congested Ford Avenue intersection.
"We been waiting for sometime for that area to be widened and some of those jughandles to be taken care of," Pelzman said yesterday. "That is quite a bottleneck with the Parkway coming off into Route 1 South. Our understanding of the intersection change looks like it will be very good for Woodbridge."
The project, which Phalon said will cost approximately $85 million, is slated for completion in July 2009.
Edison Mayor Jun Choi, who recently announced a host of traffic improvements for the township, was also pleased the DOT is moving to start the project this summer.
"I'm thrilled that the state Department of Transportation and Edison government can work hand in hand to relieve congestion in our community and make life a bit more pleasant for all of us," Choi said.
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 12:26 PM
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