Route 1 daytime shoulder and lane closures required as congestion relief project begins in Middlesex County

Successful pilot program leads to permanent installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems on two-mile stretch of roadway

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the start of a congestion relief project that will require daytime lane and shoulder closures to install permanent Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology along nearly two miles of Route 1 between Plainsboro and South Brunswick in Middlesex County.   

Beginning at noon, Tuesday, September 3 until 4 p.m., NJDOT’s contractor, Daidone Electric, Inc., is scheduled to close the shoulder on Route 1 southbound between Forrestal Road and College Road to begin the ITS installation work.  Continuing on Wednesday, September 4 through Friday, September 6 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., the contractor will close the shoulder on Route 1 in both directions between Forrestal Road and College Road. The right lane of the College Road exit ramp from Route 1 northbound also will be closed. On-going temporary daytime closures and lane shifts will be required as the project progress.

The ITS project was initiated after a six-month Hard Shoulder Running pilot project in 2017 found that utilizing the shoulder as a travel lane during peak periods kept reduced congestion and improved safety on Route 1 in the project area. 

Route 1 is a three-lane highway in most sections, except between Independence Way and Raymond Road, where it is reduced to two-lanes. The lane reduction often causes bottlenecks and delays in this area. Allowing cars to use the shoulder as a travel lane on both Route 1 northbound and southbound, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, eased congestion and improved traffic flow. Currently, the shoulder remains in use, and the project will install permanent ITS technology to manage and monitor traffic flow in this corridor.

The $4.8 million federally-funded Route 1 Forrestal Road to Wynwood Drive/Whispering Woods Boulevard ITS project will assist motorists in recognizing the permitted use of the shoulder during the allowable times to help reduce congestion, improve safety and traffic flow. The construction plan includes the deployment of Camera Surveillance System cameras, Dynamic Message Signs, and Lane-Use Control Signals at strategic locations for the monitoring and management of traffic needed with the permanent implementation of Hard Shoulder Running throughout this corridor.  The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2020.

Please note, the NJDOT Communications Office has a new phone number – 609-963-1975.