Route 1 widening project in doubt
State officials indicate work may cost too much
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

Hints that the widening of Route 1 may be officially off the table has raised the ire of South Brunswick officials, who are now making plans to exert pressure on the state government.

During the Industry and Commerce Commission luncheon May 1, Gary Toth, director of project planning and development with the state Department of Transportation (DOT), said that it was unrealistic to expect Route 1 to be expanded in the near future. His remarks were interpreted by many as signs the state will abandon efforts to widen the corridor.

"We have to accept reality now," said Toth, who estimated it would take 247 years to address every problem area on that U.S. highway. The reason for this, he said, was that the project requires money that the department just does not have. Widening the South Brunswick section of Route 1 alone would cost between $300 million and $400 million, he said. When combined with over 20 additional locations being considered for widening, each one also requiring millions upon millions of dollars, the price might be prohibitive to the DOT.

"It's really a matter of not having the funding available," said Toth.

An April 16 letter sent from DOT Commissioner Kris Kolluri to U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, who had inquired about the status of the project, does not say anything official, but strongly hints that the state is leaning toward canceling the project. In addition to echoing the funding problem cited by Toth, the letter also says that widening the road is not sustainable "because widening would generate more development, which would lead to further congestion and bring us full circle."

Kolluri further states that a study is being conducted that will analyze demographics and trends along Route 1 and produce a set of recommendations. The study is set to be completed by the end of the year, according to the letter.

While Toth's and Kolluri's statements gave the impression that the Route 1 widening project was in jeopardy, Township Manager Matthew Watkins said that was not the case at all. During the Township Council meeting later that night, Watkins said that there have been conflicting reports from within the DOT on the project's status, and while the state agency is currently considering whether or not to cancel it, nothing definite has been decided. He said that even if the widening project were to come off the table, it would not stop South Brunswick from fighting for improvements to that roadway.

"We have to get improvements on Route 1 one way or another," said Watkins.

Route 1 is not the only road project that was previously being considered for widening before being eyed for cancellation. Toth also said that overhauls of Routes 202 and 27 should also be abandoned for the same reason. Route 27 has been the subject of another clash between South Brunswick and the state government, over a set of new regulations that would allow oversized trucks to travel the two-lane highway if the drivers cannot reach their destinations using only federal roads. The township argues that the road cannot take such vehicles without significantly impairing the quality of life in the area.

Toth said that the state has been considering a change in its approach to Route 1 by focusing more on individual problem intersections along the corridor instead of trying to overhaul the whole thing. He cited the New Road and Henderson Road intersections as examples of areas that the state will try to individually improve to expedite the flow of traffic.

"We're not abandoning our efforts to make strategic investments to Route 1," said Toth.

Mayor Frank Gambatese has no plans to abandon efforts to get an additional lane on Route 1 in South Brunswick, despite Toth's assertions that such ideas are unrealistic. The expansion of the highway has long been a subject of interest for the mayor who, during his most recent election campaign, said he expected Route 1 to be widened within two to three years. Previously, he had lobbied the federal government for funding for a study on ways to improve the road, which resulted in $7 million allocated to the town through the state.

According to Ron Schmalz, public affairs coordinator for the township, the state is still holding on to that money, much to the frustration of South Brunswick.

Saying his is not the only municipality upset by this turn of events, Gambatese stated that plans are already in the works to form a coalition to pressure Trenton, with the mayor of Plainsboro already on board. The mayor said that he was angry at what he perceived as a double standard when it came to road projects, pointing out that the streets in the Quaker Bridge Mall area have been overhauled three times in the past 10 years, with a fourth on the way.

"They've spent millions and millions of dollars down there and they're gonna do more? That's crazy," said Gambatese.

He also expressed confusion over the fact that Gov. Jon Corzine helped South Brunswick acquire the funding to study Route 1 when he was still a senator, but now things might be changing. He said he understands that the state may not have the funding to complete the project all at once, but that should not prevent the DOT from completing the project piecemeal.

"This traffic is jammed up because it's going from three lanes to two lanes. This is infuriating only in the sense that I know they don't have $400 [million]-$500 million, [but] we're not asking them to do it next year. If it takes 10 years to do it, start it, make some intersection changes, do [at least] some of the roadwork," said Gambatese.