New Jersey Route 31
Route information | ||||
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Maintained by NJDOT and City of Trenton | ||||
Length | 48.93 mi[1] (78.75 km) | |||
Existed | 1967–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end |
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North end | US 46 in White Township | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | New Jersey | |||
Counties | Mercer, Hunterdon, Warren | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route 31 is a
The highway was constructed from 1926 to 1935. Route 31 has carried two different numbers in the past. It was known as Route 30 between 1927 and 1953, when it was renumbered to Route 69 to avoid conflicting with
Route description
Route 31 heads north from
Upon crossing CR 518, Route 31 enters
US 202 and Route 31 head to the north, coming to an intersection with
The route crosses back into Raritan Township, where it passes under the
Route 31 comes to an interchange with
Route 31 crosses the
History
Old roads and construction
Before the state received ownership of Route 31, the portion of the highway from Clinton to Oxford was part of the Spruce Run Turnpike. The
Location | Trenton–Buttzville |
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Existed | 1927[12]–1953[13] |
The formation of current-day Route 31 began around 1916, when a portion of the highway, along the community of Hampton was taken over by the state and was repaired to state standards for $300 (1916 USD).[14] In 1923, the state of New Jersey passed the Good Roads Act, which greatly expanded the state highway system in New Jersey. This act took over pre-existing highways and rebuilt them to a standard mandated by the state. Construction began on Route 31 in 1926, when the State Highway Department began work at the southern terminus in Trenton. A total of 11 bridges were constructed along the highway during this time, signifying the route's construction northward. The oldest ones, dating back to 1926, were located in Ewing Township and Oxford Township. The one in Ewing Township was along the first portion of the highway to be constructed.[15] By 1929, the construction had reached Lawrence Township, where another long stretch of highway was built.[16] During 1930, the construction had reached Clinton,[17] Glen Gardener,[18] and Washington.[19] Construction of the highway progressed northbound, with sections of the Mercer-Hunterdon-Warren route reaching Hunterdon County in 1931. The Hunterdon County portion up to the Musconetcong River was constructed for six months, with completion in October 1931. Construction of the highway northward from the Musconetcong River started in October of the same year. The mainline construction reached the northern terminus in Buttzville in 1932. The route, although the construction had reached its northern end, was not complete due to bypasses around Clinton and Pennington were proposed to be built. These bypasses were never constructed, and during 1934, more portions of the highway in Hunterdon County were finished. The route was completed in 1935, providing an uninterrupted route from the capital city of Trenton to northern Warren County.[4]
Designation
Location | Trenton–Buttzville |
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Existed | 1953[13]–1967[20] |
What is today Route 31 was defined in the
A
There were plans to extend the freeway further in both directions, including northward to
Following the completion of New Jersey's portion of I-287 in 1993, more out-of-state tractor trailer drivers began to use the alignment of Route 31 as a toll-free alternative to the New Jersey Turnpike.[30] On July 16, 1999, oversize trucks were banned from using Route 31 as part of a larger statewide ban imposed on New Jersey roads not a part of the National Highway System by then-governor Christine Todd Whitman. The legislation had a significant effect on trucks that followed Route 31 as it forced them to use I-287 and the New Jersey Turnpike instead.[31] In the mid-2000s, the portion of Route 31 was widened during extensive construction between Flemington and Clinton that widened the road to four lanes.[32][33]
The South Branch Parkway
In 2005, the New Jersey Department of Transportation introduced a case study for Route 31 for its New Jersey: Future in Transportation project. Over time, the residents and business owners of Raritan Township and Flemington had growing concerns over the congestion along the highway and US 202. After trying to use vacant land to the east of the current alignment, the Department of Transportation put forth the Flemington Bypass, trying to relieve congestion on Route 31 along the commercial district and to provide access to the industrial land between the two highways and the South Branch Raritan River. The project was never completed and the proposed site remains undeveloped.[34] The Department of Transportation is now looking at a scaled-down bypass, proposed as the South Branch Parkway, to connect Route 31 to US 202 in Flemington.[35]
The parkway was to be built as a two-lane alternative to Route 31 defining the border of the suburban and rural portions of Flemington Borough and Raritan Township. Along with the new parkway, a brand-new local street network was proposed to help support the new alignment. These would minimize the pressure of traffic on Route 31 and include better roads for bicycles and pedestrians. More direct routes to different portions of the community would be provided to maintain the community's character. The proposed parkway was to also help upgrade the sensitive history along the river.[34] According to the 2008 highway plans, the South Branch Parkway would cost the state more than $2.2 million (2008 USD) in funds to put together the survey of lands in the proposed alignment. Some of these funds for the survey were originally intended to go towards the removal of the Flemington Circle.[36]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
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US 206 (North Warren Street/North Broad Street/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) | Southern terminus | ||||
I-95 south – Princeton, Philadelphia | Exit 72 (I-295) | ||||
6.09 | 9.80 | Circle | |||
Mercer–Hunterdon county line | Hopewell–East Amwell township line | 12.27 | 19.75 | CR 518 (Lambertville-Hopewell Road) – Lambertville, Hopewell | |
West Amwell township line | 13.97 | 22.48 | CR 579 south (Harbourton Road) – Harbourton | South end of CR 579 overlap | |
East Amwell Township | 16.36 | 26.33 | US 202 south CR 579 north (Linvale-Harbourton Road) – Ringoes | Interchange; north end of CR 579 overlap; south end of US 202 overlap | |
17.53 | 28.21 | Northern terminus of Route 179; western terminus of CR 514 | |||
Flemington Circle ; north end of US 202 overlap | |||||
Raritan Township | 23.43 | 37.71 | CR 523 (Walter E. Foran Boulevard) – Flemington, Whitehouse | ||
Clinton Township | 31.89 | 51.32 | I-78 / US 22 – Phillipsburg, Newark | Exit 17 (I-78/US 22) | |
32.43 | 52.19 | Route 173 west (Old Highway 22) | Interchange; eastern terminus of Route 173 | ||
33.41 | 53.77 | CR 513 south (Halstead Street) – Clinton | South end of CR 513 overlap | ||
34.07 | 54.83 | CR 513 north (West Main Street) – High Bridge | North end of CR 513 overlap | ||
Warren | Washington | 42.84 | 68.94 | Route 57 (Washington Avenue) | |
Delaware Water Gap, Hackettstown, New York | Northern terminus | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- U.S. Roads portal
- New Jersey portal
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Route 31 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-09-04. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Google (2008-12-08). "overview of New Jersey Route 31" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ a b "Route 202 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2006-03-18. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ a b Historic American Engineering Record, ed. (1998). Route 31 Bridge, New Jersey Route 31, crossing disused main line of, Hampton, Hunterdon County, NJ. National Park Service. pp. 4–7.
- ^ Votes and proceedings of the ... General Assembly of the State of New Jersey. New Jersey General Assembly. c. 1835. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- ISBN 0-8371-5765-X. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ Acts of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey. New Jersey State Legislature. 1854. p. 434. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
Pennington Turnpike.
- ^ Annual report of the Commissioner of Public Roads. New Jersey. Commissioner of Public Roads. 1898. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ Hood, John (1905). Index of colonial and state laws of New Jersey, between the years 1663 and 1903 inclusive. Sinnickson Chew & Sons Company. p. 1081. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
Hopewell and Ewing Turnpike.
- ^ Moraeski, Dan (2009). "Map of NJ Turnpikes" (PDF). Alps Roads. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-08-12. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ Klinger, Oliver C. (1923). Obsolete securities. Oildom Publishing Company.
- ^ a b State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.
- ^ a b c "1953 renumbering". New Jersey Department of Highways. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
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(help) - ^ Annual report of the commissioner of public roads. New Jersey. Commissioner of public roads. 1916. p. 53. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
Spruce Run Turnpike.
- ^ National Bridge Inventory, ed. (2007). Structure Number: ++++++++1118150. United States Department of Transportation. p. 1.
- ^ National Bridge Inventory, ed. (2007). Structure Number: ++++++++1119156. United States Department of Transportation. p. 1.
- ^ National Bridge Inventory, ed. (2007). Structure Number: ++++++++1013152. United States Department of Transportation. p. 1.
- ^ National Bridge Inventory, ed. (2007). Structure Number: ++++++++1013154. United States Department of Transportation. p. 1.
- ^ National Bridge Inventory, ed. (2007). Structure Number: ++++++++2110155. United States Department of Transportation. p. 1.
- ISBN 9780738556796.
- ^ 1927 New Jersey Road Map (Map). State of New Jersey. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "New Road Signs Ready in New Jersey". The New York Times. December 16, 1952.
- Chevron Oil Company. 1969.
- ^ "Retire Route 69 Designation" (PDF). Hightstown Gazette. June 8, 1967. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-02-25.
- ^ Kearins, Jack J. (1969). Yankee Revenooer. Moore Publishing Company. p. 18.
- ^ Milepost Log of State Highways (1969 ed.). New Jersey State Highway Department. 1969.
- ^ Tri-State Transportation Commission (1966). "Transportation 1985: A Regional Plan". Tri-State Transportation Commission.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "New Jersey Highway Facts". New Jersey Department of Transportation. 1967.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "Interstate 80-84 Links Opposed". The New York Times. November 27, 1972.
- ^ Newman, Andy (July 23, 1995). "ROAD AND RAIL; Truckers Carve a New Route, Crowding a Two-Lane Road". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ Futterman, Matthew (July 17, 1999). "NJ Bars Huge Rigs on Most Highways". The Star-Ledger.
- ^ "APPENDIX G-Current and Completed Hunterdon County Transportation Projects". Hunterdon County.
- ^ "Award of Merit – Highway-Route 31 Dualization". New York Construction News. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ a b "Route 31 - Hunterdon County, New Jersey: Land Use and Transportation Plan". New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- The Courier News. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ "Route 31, Integrated Land Use & Transportation Plan" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2009-09-14.