New Jersey Route 18

Route map:
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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the current New Jersey Route 18. For the Route 18 that existed before 1927, see New Jersey Route 18 (pre-1927).

Route 18 marker

Route 18

Map
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length42.78 mi[1] (68.85 km)
Existed1939[2]–present
HistoryDesignated in 1927 as Route S28
Major junctions
South end Route 138 in Wall Township
Major intersections
North end
I-287 in Piscataway
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountiesMonmouth, Middlesex
Highway system
← Route 17→ Route 18N

Route 18 is a 42.8-mile-long (68.9 km)

1953
. At that point, Route S28 was redesignated as Route 18, though the section from Old Bridge to Matawan was signed as TEMP 18, as this section would be decommissioned when the Route 18 freeway was built.

The route originally ended at

Brielle Circle and terminate at Route 34, Route 35, and Route 70
but there are no plans to do so currently.

Route description

Monmouth County

Route 18 begins at a partial-cloverleaf interchange with Route 138 in Wall Township. At the southern end of the interchange, the right-of-way and unused pavement for the southern extension is visible along with the former on-ramp from Route 138 to Route 18 northbound. The highway heads northward as a four-lane freeway, crossing under Route 138. Route 18 interchanges with Route 138 westbound and Monmouth Boulevard, a local road in New Bedford. Route 18 then crosses under Monmouth Boulevard and County Route 18 (Belmar Boulevard) in the community of Glendola. The route continues through Glendola, and interchanges with Brighton Avenue (southbound Interchanges 7A and 7B). The freeway continues south of the Shark River Golf Course, through Neptune, paralleling Brighton Avenue, and interchanges with Route 33 and County Route 17 at exit 8. Although signed as exit 8 northbound, the interchange is divided into exits 8A and 8B heading southbound. The roadway crosses into Ocean Township and crosses under County Route 17 (West Bangs Avenue). In Ocean Township, there are exits for Route 66 and Asbury Avenue, Deal Road, and West Park Avenue. Farther north, the highway enters Eatontown.[3]

Route 18 northbound past the Route 79 interchange in Marlboro Township

A large interchange near the Naval Weapons Station Earle serves Industrial Way West, County Route 547 (Wyckoff Road), Route 36, Hope Road, the Garden State Parkway, the Tinton Falls interchange (exit 105), and County Route 38 (Wayside Road). After passing over the Southern Secondary railroad line operated by the Delaware and Raritan River Railroad, the route continues northwestward into Colts Neck. The freeway continues to the northwest through wooded land for several miles, crossing over Normandy Road and to the south of the Pebble Creek Golf Club. Exits along this stretch include Route 34, County Route 537 (Colts Neck Road), Route 79 (South Main Street), County Route 520, and County Route 3 (Tennent Road), which connects to Freehold Borough and Marlboro Township.[3]

Middlesex County

Signage for the Rutgers University campuses along Route 18 southbound in Piscataway

After entering Middlesex County, Route 18 continues north as a freeway, entering

Middlesex County Route 615, which also connects to County Route 527.[3]

Route 18 then continues through the heavily developed commercial corridor of East Brunswick, intersecting with

County Route 606 (Milltown Road), Route 18 passes over CSAO's Bonhamtown Industrial Track line and intersects West Ferris Street, West Prospect Street, Tices Lane, and then meets County Route 527 (the Old Bridge Turnpike) at Edgeboro Road. An intersection and partial interchange with Eggers Street and JFK Boulevard is followed by crossing over the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) at exit 9 of the turnpike. The road then intersects Tower Center Boulevard before crossing into New Brunswick at Lawrence Brook.[3]

Route 18 northbound at New Street in New Brunswick

The

John A. Lynch, Sr. Memorial Bridge over the Raritan River.[3]

Route 18 northbound past New Street in New Brunswick

The highway then interchanges with

Diocese of Metuchen, as well as the post office and township hall of the Township of Piscataway, before reaching an intersection with Centennial Avenue. Route 18 turns on Centennial Avenue and continues for about 0.35 miles (0.56 km) to a traffic signal for Possumtown Road. From this intersection, Route 18 is considered to exist both on Centennial Avenue and Possumtown Road, and ends in each case at the respective entrance ramps for I-287.[5]

History and future

Designation and southern freeway construction

Route S28 marker

Route S28

LocationMiddlesex–Matawan
Existed1927[6]–1953[7]
Route 18 northbound in Colts Neck Township

Route 18 partly follows the course of the Middlesex and Matawan Turnpike (commonly called the Old Bridge Turnpike), legislated in 1863 to run from the south branch of the Raritan River to Matawan. The alignment of Route 18 through Middlesex County from Middlesex to Highland Park was first designated in the 1927 designing of a new highway system as State Highway Route S-29, a prefixed spur of New Jersey Route 29 (U.S. Route 22) through Middlesex County. The route followed Washington Avenue in Middlesex and the River Road in Piscataway until terminating at State Highway Route 27 near the Albany Street Bridge in Highland Park.[8] By the time of the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, the route was re-designated as State Highway Route S-28. This route was a prefixed spur of State Highway Route 28 in Middlesex, following Raritan Avenue and River Road through Piscataway and Highland Park, joining State Highway Route 27 on a concurrency into New Brunswick, and onto George Street in New Brunswick southward. After New Brunswick, Route S-28 continued southward through East Brunswick, Old Bridge and Browntown before terminating at State Highway Route 4 (U.S. Route 9) in Matawan.[6]

The route was originally designated as an east–west highway, whereas it is now signed north–south.[9] Although Route S-28 was used for the alignment for nearly three decades, the second state highway renumbering in 1953 eliminated the designation, and Route 18 was designated in place.[7]

Route 18's southern terminus at Route 138 in Wall Township

During the 1950s, as the

New Jersey State Highway Department was drawing out plans for an extensive freeway system, freeways were proposed for Route 18 and nearby Route 35. Route 18's freeway was to begin in Eatontown and head westward to Old Bridge Township along the former alignment of State Highway Route 18 prior to the 1953 renumbering, while Route 35 was to be rerouted from its surface alignment and head northward from Seaside Heights to Long Branch on a new freeway. Both plans were endorsed by the Tri-State Transportation Committee in 1962, and the acquisition for the right-of-ways began almost immediately. The freeways combined were to cost $50 million (1962 USD) and be 30 miles (48 km) in total.[10] Both freeways were designed to handle 30,000–50,000 vehicles daily.[11]

The freeway was completed between Route 138 and Route 33 in 1967 and Route 33 and Deal Road in 1969. Following this, the Route 35 freeway was cancelled and it became the part of Route 18 south of Eatontown. In 1974, Route 18 was completed between just south of Normandy Road in Colts Neck and US 9. A small portion of the freeway between Obre Road and Normandy Road in Colts Neck was finished in 1977. Route 18 was built between Wayside Road and Obre Road in 1978. The final portion of the Route 18 between Deal Road and Wayside Road was finished in 1988.[12]

Freeway around New Brunswick

Old 1960 photo of Route 18 sign on Route 27 through New Brunswick. Route 18 is no longer signed east–west

The proposals for a freeway bypassing

Somerset Freeway, I-287 and Route 28 before terminating at US 22.[10] The extension to Bound Brook, however, was canceled in the 1970s because of tight funding.[14]

Construction of a new four-lane bridge across the Raritan River (now the John A. Lynch Memorial Bridge) began in the 1960s, but in 1970, when the environment impact laws came out, construction froze with only three massive piers standing out of the river. Outside of the bridge, there was significant controversy over the abandoned Delaware and Raritan Canal heading through New Brunswick. The new freeway was to supplant the former canal and its thirteenth lock in New Brunswick, abandoned in 1932.[15] The environmentalists and the historic preservationists opposed the freeway extension because of the fears of losing the canal, while companies like Johnson & Johnson supported the new highway for redeveloping New Brunswick.[16]

Route S-28 stamp on the side of Route 18 over Westons Mill Pond

In 1977, the newly formed

Middlesex County Route 514 Spur in Piscataway.[17] This 2.3-mile (3.7 km) portion was completed in 1983 at a cost of $40 million (about $122 million in 2023 dollars[13]), with a finished bridge and freeway through New Brunswick.[18]

In 2005, construction began on a revamped Route 18 freeway through New Brunswick. The rebuild includes local and express lanes from Route 172 (George Street) to the interchange with Route 27 (Albany Street). Conti Enterprises was hired for the project, which was announced complete in August 2009 at a ceremony by governor Jon S. Corzine and Stephen Dilts, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[19] During the construction, the New Street interchange and bridge were demolished and replaced. The area of the Paulus Boulevard intersection was upgraded for accessibility, and a bus stop was installed, but the roadway southbound is still three lanes at the traffic light. In adjacent Elmer Boyd Park a new entranceway and amphitheatre were added.[20]

Extension through Piscataway and to Brielle

Piscataway

End Route 18 signage along Centennial Avenue at Knightsbridge Road and the southbound I-287 on and off ramps
End Route 18 signage along Possumtown Road at the northbound I-287 on and off ramps
Two branches of Route 18 ending at I-287's exit 8

In 2001, the New Jersey Department of Transportation approved construction of extending the Route 18 Freeway northward from Middlesex County Route 622 (River Road, former CR 514 Spur) in

County Route 609 (Metlars Lane) and Davidson Road. The state acquired 12 homes along the existing Metlars Lane and 30 acres (120,000 m2) of land from Rutgers to build the extension. The project cost the state $85 million (2004 USD).[21]

The Department of Transportation then planned the extension to Interstate 287 in Piscataway, by upgrading Hoes Lane's arterial boulevard and its 20 intersections to standards, eliminating and upgrading several traffic lights. On February 15, 2012, the New Jersey Department of Transportation broke ground on the project, which was completed in mid-2016. Following the completion of the project, Route 18 turns off Hoes Lane at Centennial Ave., follows Centennial to Possumtown Road, and terminates at Interstate 287 exit 8.[1][22]

Brielle Circle
, which was to be the southern terminus of Route 18.

Brielle

There has been scrutiny about the

multi-use trail for bicycles and other vehicles to link the Wall Township Municipal Complex to the existing Edgar Felix Bikeway that runs from Manasquan to Allaire State Park.[23] In 2001, the Brielle Circle was replaced with a new four-approach interchange between Route 35, Route 34 and Route 70, but the project included no hint of the Route 18 Extension.[24] NJDOT is in planning to create a Park & Ride at the southern terminus of the Route 18 freeway. It will be placed along the four lane right of way just south of Route 138. Residents are in opposition to this proposal for fear of loitering and vandalism that may accompany the parking lot.[25]

New exit ramp in Old Bridge Township

Construction was slated for the interchange with County Routes 516 and 527 in Old Bridge Township as there is no way to access either of them without driving through a residential area off Route 18. The traffic flow along CR 516 (Old Bridge Township into Matawan) and 527 (Old Bridge Township into Englishtown/Manalapan Township) has increased significantly in the past ten years which called for the exit ramp off Route 18. The Old Bridge improvements include adding inside shoulders and widening County Routes 516 and 527. A signalized ramp is to be added for access to County Routes 516 and 527. Subsequently, County Route 516's intersection with Old Matawan Road is to be relocated. The project would cost over $28 million and was slated to begin in 2009 and to end in 2010. As of the end of 2009 the large project was put on hold because of the lack of funds and the economic situation. Demolition was completed in 2009 on Marlboro Road, taking down several residential houses and along Old Matawan Road and CR 516 and taking down an old gas station in preparing for the project. There is no new date released by NJDOT in when construction will begin.[26] The CR 516 bridge over Route 18 had since been replaced in 2016 with no interchange improvements.[27]

Major intersections

Exit numbers and mileposts are based on the originally planned southern terminus of Route 18 at Route 34, Route 35, and Route 70 at the former Brielle Circle that includes the 5.14-mile (8.27 km) unbuilt section from Brielle to Route 138.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
MonmouthWall Township5.148.276A-B



 Route 138 to I-195 west / G.S. Parkway / Route 34 – Belmar, Point Pleasant		Southern terminus; signed as exits 6A (east) and 6B (west)
5.729.216CMonmouth BoulevardNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
6.8210.987Brighton Avenue / Marconi Road – Shark River Hills, GlendolaSigned as exits 7A (east) and 7B (west) southbound
Neptune Township8.2813.338 Route 33 – Neptune, FreeholdSigned as exits 8A (east) and 8B (west) southbound
9.8415.8410 Route 66 – Asbury Park, FreeholdSigned as exits 10A (east) and 10B (west)
Ocean Township11.3718.3011Deal Road – WaysideNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 11A (east) and 11B (west)
12.0719.4212West Park Avenue – Oakhurst, WaysideSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 12A (east) and 12B (west)
Eatontown13.4621.6613A

 CR 547 south to G.S. Parkway – Wayside		Northbound exit and southbound entrance
13.8222.2413B
 Route 36 east – Eatontown, Long Branch
CR 51
)		No northbound exit
14.40–
14.51		23.17–
23.35		15
 G.S. Parkway south / Wayside Road		No northbound access to Wayside Road north or GSP; signed as exits 15A (Wayside north/GSP) and 15B (Wayside south)
Colts Neck Township19.0230.6119 Route 34 – Matawan, Point PleasantSigned as exits 19A (north) and 19B (south)
22.3135.9022
Colts Neck, Freehold
Signed as exits 22A (east) and 22B (west)
Marlboro Township25.2040.5625 Route 79 – Matawan, FreeholdSigned as exits 25A (north) and 25B (south)
28.6046.03—MorganvilleSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
28.8046.3529
Tennent Road (CR 3)
MiddlesexOld Bridge Township30.3548.8430 US 9 – Freehold, The Amboys, New YorkSame-directional access only
Northern end of freeway section
34.4155.38
 CR 516 east – Matawan		Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance

 CR 527 south – Englishtown		Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance
The Amboys
Interchange
37.1459.77 CR 535 (Cranbury Road) – South River, CranburyInterchange
37.3360.08Milltown Road (
CR 606) – South River, Milltown
Cloverleaf interchange
38.8962.59
 CR 527 south (Old Bridge Turnpike) / Edgeboro Road – East Brunswick, South River		Southern end of unsigned CR 527 concurrency
39.5563.65Eggers Street / Kennedy BoulevardPartial interchange
39.9464.28

 I-95 Toll / N.J. Turnpike – New York, Trenton		Exit 9 on I-95 / Turnpike
Parclo interchange
Southern end of freeway section
41.4166.64—

 Route 172 west (CR 527 north) to Route 27 / New Brunswick Exits – Cook/Douglass Campus, Highland Park		Northern end of CR 527 concurrency; eastern terminus of Route 172; no southbound exit
41.75–
41.96		67.19–
67.53		—New Brunswick Exits
New Street – Arts & Business District
Paul Robeson Boulevard		Northbound access via service road; Paul Robeson Blvd. is formerly Commercial Avenue
42.2968.06— Route 27 (Albany Street) – PrincetonNorthbound access via service road; no southbound exit or northbound entrance
42.8969.02—George Street (
CR 672) – College Avenue Campus
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
43.20–
43.50		69.52–
70.01		—

 To
CR 672) – College Avenue Campus, New Brunswick
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
—
 To CR 527 (Easton Avenue) – South Bound Brook		Northbound exit and southbound entrance
John A. Lynch, Sr. Memorial Bridge
CR 622) – Piscataway, Highland Park
44.2871.26—Campus Road –
Busch Campus, Rutgers Stadium
44.7071.94—Metlars Lane (
Rutgers RAC
Northern end of freeway section
47.74–
47.92		76.83–
77.12
I-287
Northern terminus; exit 8 on I-287; southbound access via Centennial Avenue, northbound access via Possumtown Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Route 18 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. August 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b State of New Jersey, Laws of 1939, Chapter 243.
  3. ^ a b c d e Overview map of Route 18 (Map). Cartography by Navteq Inc. Bing Maps/Microsoft Incorporated. 2009. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "Route 18 Spur straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. March 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  5. ^ The signage reads "NJ 18" on both Centennial Ave. and Possumtown Rd. However, in the straight-line diagrams, the stretch of 0.29 miles (0.47 km) on Possumtown Road is designated as "NJ 18 Spur".[1][4]
  6. ^ a b ROUTE NO. S-28. Beginning at Route No. 28 in Borough of Middlesex, thence via Raritan Avenue and River Road to Route No. 27 Highland Park, thence via Route No. 27 to New Brunswick, thence via Weston's Mills, Tanners Corner, Old Bridge and Browntown to Route No. 4 in Matawan. L. 1927, c. 319.
  7. ^ a b 1953 renumbering, New Jersey Department of Highways, archived from the original on June 28, 2011, retrieved July 31, 2009
  8. ^ ROUTE NO. S-29. Following Washington avenue in the borough of Middlesex and the River road in township of Piscataway and borough of Highland Park from Route No. 29 in borough of Middlesex to Route No. 27 in borough of Highland Park.
  9. ^ A photo taken in March 1960 (larger Archived July 25, 2006, at the Wayback Machine TIFF) from [1]
  10. ^ a b Regional Highways: Status Report. Tri-State Transportation Commission. 1962.
  11. ^ Location of State Route 18: Engineering Report. New Jersey State Highway Department. 1965.
  12. ^ "Route 18 Straight Line Diagram" (PDF). Internet Archives WayBack Machine. New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2006. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  13. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Rutgers University. "Route 18 Reconstruction Analysis" (PDF). Rutgers University. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  15. ISBN 978-0-7385-1081-1
    .
  16. ^ "Old Raritan Canal Is Focus of a Classic Dispute". The New York Times. April 16, 1977.
  17. ^ Waggoner, Walter H. (May 9, 1977). "Two Long-Disputed Projects To Begin". The New York Times.
  18. ^ Route 18 Freeway Extension Project, Administrative Action Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Statement. Federal Highway Administration / New Jersey Department of Transportation. 1984.
  19. ^ Hester Sr., Tom (August 19, 2009). "Reconstruction of Route 18 in New Brunswick completed". Newsroom Jersey. New Jersey: Newsroom Jersey. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  20. ^ "Route 18 Reconstruction Overview". Ewing, New Jersey: New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  21. ^ Greenblatt, Sarah. "Rutgers OK's Extension for Route 18". The Home News Tribune. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Gannett Newspapers.
  22. ^ Route 18 Extension: Section 3A Project Map (PDF) (Map). Cartography by New Jersey Department of Transportation. New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  23. ^ New Jersey Department of Transportation. "Lettiere presents $1 million to Wall Township for multi-use bike trail". Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  24. ^ "3 crossings make N.J. hit list". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  25. ^ "Park-and-ride proposal faces battle in Wall". Asbury Park Press. Gannett Newspapers. November 7, 2006.
  26. ^ "2009 Capital Improvement Programs" (PDF). Ewing, New Jersey: New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2008. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  27. ^ "CR 516(MATAWAN RD) over NJ 18". BridgeReports.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.

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