DOT Plans Major Work for Rt. 18
Drainage, paving, and improvements to Route 18 bridge at Route 1 on tap for the highway.
The state Department of Transportation is in the planning stages of two projects targeted at making life easier for those traveling on and around Route 18.
The DOT is in the process of designing a plan for major improvements to the Route 18 bridge over Route 18, and is planning to repave and improve drainage along the highway from the NJ Turnpike to Rues Lane.
According to DOT Spokesman Timothy Greeley, improvements at Route 1 are in the design stage and include widening the Route 18 northbound bridge at Route 1 by one lane to create an acceleration/deceleration lane for the ramps to and from Route 1. The widening is expected to allow the existing lane to be used as a third, through lane on northbound Route 18, eliminating a merge conflict between Route 18 northbound traffic and NJ Turnpike traffic, according to the proposal.
The DOT has set aside $700,000 to design the project and expects to request an additional $20 million for construction costs in 2014.
The DOT also is planning a pavement and drainage project along Route 18 from the NJ Turnpike to Rues Lane. The DOT will request $1 million in fiscal year 2013 for preliminary engineering on the project, $1 million in 2014 for design work, $1 million in 2015 for Right of Ways, and $13.2 million in 2017 for construction.
Mayor David Stahl told the Township Council on Monday that the DOT has asked for a resolution supporting the work before it begins.
“This is federally funded, so there is no money from East Brunswick. It’s two years from even going out, but they’re looking for support from the municipality,” he said.
Mayor Stahl said he insisted that work occur at night and that there is no shut down of the road during the project.
“There will be no taking of property, and we will do anything we can do to mitigate any impact on anybody,” he said.
Greeley said the DOT also has plans for the Edgeboro Road, Route 18 intersection. The project is tentatively scheduled for 2019.
According to a proposal, left turn movement from westbound Edgeboro Road onto Route 18 south will be eliminated. Left turns would only be permitted from Edgeboro Road westbound onto Old Bridge Turnpike, with traffic traveling to Route 18 and Tices Lane.
The eastbound approach of the reverse jug handle at its intersection with Old Bridge Turnpike would also be modified to consist of one through lane to both Edgeboro Road and Old Bridge Turnpike and one through lane dedicated to Old Bridge Turnpike.
The DOT expects to begin preliminary engineering of the project in 2014, design work in 2016, Right of Way work in 2017 and construction in 2019.
ramesh
9:39 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
The traffic merge issue can be solved easily by putting one traffic light just before the road from NJTPK merges onto 18 and timed for 18North traffic light at the Hilton Corner. This will allow alternate flow into 18 North and to a major extent control the merge issue. I submitted a suggestion to DOT, NJ about two years ago on this one.
This one will be similar to the one near Holland tunnel exit into NJ. There 5-6 lanes merge, however the right most two lanes moves only after traffic light. At that flow from Holland tunnel is stopped.
Why DOT cannot think of simple solutions to handle the cases?
Also, they can just put barricade and prevent the traffic from Edgeborough road on to 18 South (as the place allows only few cars). The traffic can make a left to Old Bridge turnpike and go further and make a right on tices lane towards either 18N or 18South. why make a big project out of this.
Well, it is not their money anyway.
John Romano
10:19 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
...as I see the proposal as it relates to Edgeboro Rd., and the abolition of left turn movements onto Rte 18....I have no choice but to scratch my head and mutter a whole slew of expletives. They now intend to re-direct all the southbound Rte 18 traffic to Tices Lane via Old Bridge Tpke.? Does this proposal include money to make Tices Lane (between OB Tpke & Rte 18)....about 12 lanes wide!!??
A huge portion of the Edgeboro Rd. traffic component is commercial / heavy trucks. Now....any truck wanting to access southbound Rte 18 will have no choice but to use Old Bridge Tpke. This has the same flavor of that other ridiculous road (Highland Street) that takes you off Tices Lane behind Kohls / Dick's...etc...in order to access Rte 18 north. Add these traffic movements to those that will be generated by the looming canker sore....Walmart....and the traffic nightmares are almost unimaginable.
....and yes...by all means...lets rush out and approve a resolution that supports this poorly thought out plan.
John Saccenti
11:22 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Hi John,
The resolution the mayor was speaking about would be regarding the repaving and drainage work. The Edgeboro project is still a ways away in the future.
Sam Modz
7:27 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
Eliminating that left turn onto Route 18 South from Edgeboro is a BIG mistake. I use that to get to the business from OBT. How else would I get to those business go up to Eggers?
Corey A. Mayo
7:59 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
instead of the circle jughandle the should've invested the money in an overpass. 'do-it-cheaply-now-and-redo-it-again-later' is just plain wasteful and stupid
Ken P
10:36 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
Is the drainage solution going to help residents in the Lawrence Brook section due to poor sewer drainage and rising creeks
Douglas J. Wardenski
4:30 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
How about making the left 2 lanes of route 18 in East Brunswick 55 and the right lane 45 since thats the lane people pull out from business's. 45mph is to slow for 18 in East Brunswick everyone goes 55 plus anyway so why not fix the problem, make the two left lanes 55, less tickets people can travel quickly and in the right lane a safe 45 for people pulling out of businesses on the roadway. This is something that should have been doen when 18 was a two lane road on both side back in the 60's. Think about it, it really makes sense most people are going 55+ on that roadway anyway.