Ferguson Secures $2.5 Million for Route 22

06/23/06

The House approved $2.5 million requested by Congressman Mike Ferguson to improve an 8-mile stretch of Route 22 in Somerset County - one of the most dangerous roadways in New Jersey - the Courier-News reported.

Congressman Ferguson requested the funding with New Jersey Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, whose district shares Route 22 with Congressman Ferguson's 7th District. The two lawmakers already have secured more than $9.4 million for the project in recent years.

"Every driver who's spent even a second on Route 22 knows it's in need of changes to improve traffic flow, relieve congestion and ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians," Congressman Ferguson told the Courier-News.

Known as the Route 22 Sustainable Corridor Project, construction is expected to break ground next spring, the Courier-News reported. The first phase will focus on improving the 2 miles between Routes 202-206 and Chimney Rock Road in Bridgewater, including eventually building a new interchange and overpass at Route 22 and Chimney Rock Road.

Between the intersections of Routes 202-206 and Interstate 287, Route 22 carries more than 100,000 vehicles daily - far more than it was designed to accommodate. In addition to congestion, that massive traffic flow also is leading to a rise in traffic accidents.

The three most dangerous sections of Route 22 are the ones singled out for safety improvements: the merge from Routes 202-206 north to Route 22; the Grove Street Bridge interchange; and the two center median U-turns at the former Felix No. 9 Diner (now the Bridgewater Diner) near Adamsville Road and at Midas Auto Service near North Gaston Avenue.

Long-term plans call for building an express highway in the center median to link Routes 202-206 and I-287 to through traffic with limited crossovers to a local highway that would serve businesses, offices and neighborhoods, the newspaper reported. The changes also would expand mass transit use on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line.