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Politics & Government

Route 1 Jughandle Closures Starting in August

The 12-week pilot project will restrict left and U-turns on Route 1 at Washington Road and Harrison Street.

A pilot project to restrict left turns and U-turns on Route 1 at Washington Road and Harrison Street in West Windsor will begin on Monday, Aug. 6 and continue for approximately 12 weeks, according to the West Windsor Police Department.

The new traffic pattern will affect residents and commuters who travel in and out of Princeton. When the pilot begins, drivers may no longer turn left from Route 1 north onto Harrison or Washington. Instead, drivers will be directed north to Scudder’s Mill Road and onto Route 1 south.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation seeks to reduce congestion at those intersections where the rightmost of three lanes becomes crowded with motorists waiting to make left turns, particularly during peak travel periods.

A previous study along Route 1 indicated that the existing space for left and U-turns at those jughandles is inadequate to accommodate this traffic, resulting in the familiar sight of traffic backing up onto Route 1.

Temporary barriers will be used to implement the restrictions and will be installed over the weekend of Aug. 4 and 5.

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Signs will notify motorists of the restrictions and alternate routes in advance of the start of the pilot project.

NJDOT will collect traffic volume and trip-time data at numerous locations in Princeton Township, Princeton Borough, West Windsor and Plainsboro prior to and during the trial period to evaluate the impact of the restrictions.

NJDOT will then meet with stakeholders to present its findings, including the impact of the restrictions on Route 1 congestion and on secondary roads. If the trial is deemed a success, the turns will not be restored and NJDOT  will replace the temporary barriers with permanent ones.

The project was previously delayed from a tentative mid-March start date. Among the concerns voiced by the public and officials was the planned May relocation of University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro from Princeton Borough to Route 1, just north of Harrison Street.

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