The state is finally coming to the realization that something needs to be done to Route 1. While it acknowledges the need to widen the road, it also views the aggregation of traffic lights as a significant problem.
Travel south on the highway and you can get a glimpse of what probably needs to be done. There are no traffic lights in Plainsboro and the handful that are left in West Windsor will be replaced when they eventually complete the Millstone By-pass.
In South Brunswick, we could stand to lose a couple of lights and close off a few openings.
The township should encourage the state to close Henderson Road and make it a right-turn only intersection, encouraging traffic to use Finnegans Lane. This would take some traffic off both Henderson and Route 1. Also overpasses are needed at Beekman and Route 522.
New and Sand Hills/Major are more of an issue — how you close those interesections or install overpasses is a huge question. We may need to leave one or both as lighted intersections.
The state, however, should not wait to widen the road. Widen it now and, if it can be arranged, work on the intersections later. It may coast more in the long run, but drivers in South Brunswick can not wait for the state to decide what to do with the intersections.
South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick
Hank Kalet 