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Route 91 (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Route 91 is a 2.26 miles (3.6 km) long spur state highway
in Middlesex County
, New Jersey
. The route runs as a spur of U.S. Route 1
along Jersey Avenue in North Brunswick Township
to Van Dyke Avenue in the city of New Brunswick
. At Van Dyke Avenue, Route 91 ends as a state route, and Jersey Avenue continues as County Route 693 to New Jersey Route 27 in the center of New Brunswick. The mainline of Route 91 only ends at U.S. Route 1 southbound (bound for Trenton
), so the 0.37 mile (0.5954558 km) long connector constructed from U.S. Route 1 northbound is designated as Route 91 Connector.
The route originates as the northernmost portion of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike from Trenton to New Brunswick. The turnpike originated as a chartered highway in 1804, with the new roadway finished by 1806. The turnpike lived out its 99-year charter term, with the alignment of the turnpike turned over to local authorities in 1903. In 1927, the New Jersey State Highway Department designated State Highway Route 26
on the alignment of the turnpike, except for the portion on Jersey Avenue. This alignment was designated as Route 26A, a spur of State Highway Route 26 in 1941, and renumbered in the 1953 state highway renumbering
as Route 91. The route has remained virtually untouched since.
in the North Brunswick Township, New Jersey
community of Adams. The route heads northward as Jersey Avenue, passing several fields and ponds along a U.S. Route 1 parallel. A short distance later, Route 91 enters the industrial district of North Brunswick, where it reaches a partial interchange with Route 91 Connector, a spur from U.S. Route 1 Northbound to the Route 91 mainline. Paralleling the Northeast Corridor
tracks to the west, Jersey Avenue passes through a small corporate park in North Brunswick. A short distance later, Route 91 intersects with Middlesex County Route 680 (How Lane), which connects Route 91 with nearby New Jersey Route 27 and New Jersey Route 26
. Upon crossing How Lane, Route 91 crosses the township line and enters the city of New Brunswick
.
Route 91 continues northward along Jersey Avenue, passing through the industrial districts in the southeastern portion of the city. With the Northeast Corridor tracks nearby, Route 91 intersects with Triangle Road, where it meets a park & ride
and the service road to the Jersey Avenue
New Jersey Transit
train station. There, the highway also crosses a railroad spur from the train line. The highway continues, passing to the east of a high school and some commercial buildings, before the Route 91 designation terminates at an intersection with Van Dyke Avenue. Jersey Avenue continues into New Brunswick's center as Middlesex County Route 693.
with New York City
. However the $300,000 project only received minimal support and died later. Nine years after the original proposal was brought up, the New Jersey State Legislature developed a charter for a new turnpike from Trenton
to New Brunswick
. The charter passed on November 14, 1904, for a term of 99 years. The roadway itself was to be 66 feet (20.1 m) wide, running from Warren and Green Streets in Trenton to an unspecified location in New Brunswick. Construction progressed, and by 1806, the turnpike company started tolling the new roadway. A portion of Route 91 and Route 91 Connector was also the site of one of at least three tollgates on the turnpike. After construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad
during the 1800s, the railroad was asked by locals to buy the turnpike. Plans fell apart soon after, and in 1903, when the charter term ended, the old turnpike was turned over to the locals.
The New Jersey State Highway Department used the alignment of the Lincoln Highway
to designate State Highway Route 26
during the 1927 state highway renumbering
from Trenton to New Brunswick. The route continued into New Brunswick, where it would end at Mill Run.
As Route 26 left the path of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike to cross the railroad, State Highway Route 26A was designated in 1941 legislature to continue on the former turnpike to a former railroad crossing in North Brunswick Township. There, State Highway Route 26A continued, splitting onto a new alignment to stay northwest of the railroad, ending at Van Dyke Avenue. The existing Jersey Avenue beyond Van Dyke Avenue was taken over by Middlesex County
as County Route 3R20, later renumbered County Route 693.
During the second state highway renumbering
in January 1953, the designation of Route 26 was truncatd from Trenton to U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township. With Route 26A no longer terminating at its parent highway, the suffixed spur was renumbered to Route 91, heading from U.S. Route 1 in Adams to Van Dyke Road. The route has changed little since designation.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The route runs as a spur of U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...
along Jersey Avenue in North Brunswick Township
North Brunswick Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2010 census, there were 40,742 people, 13,635 households and 9,367 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,018.3 per square mile . There were 13,932 housing units at an average density of 1,158.8 per square mile...
to Van Dyke Avenue in the city of New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. At Van Dyke Avenue, Route 91 ends as a state route, and Jersey Avenue continues as County Route 693 to New Jersey Route 27 in the center of New Brunswick. The mainline of Route 91 only ends at U.S. Route 1 southbound (bound for Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
), so the 0.37 mile (0.5954558 km) long connector constructed from U.S. Route 1 northbound is designated as Route 91 Connector.
The route originates as the northernmost portion of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike from Trenton to New Brunswick. The turnpike originated as a chartered highway in 1804, with the new roadway finished by 1806. The turnpike lived out its 99-year charter term, with the alignment of the turnpike turned over to local authorities in 1903. In 1927, the New Jersey State Highway Department designated State Highway Route 26
New Jersey Route 26
Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the to the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the route continued southwest along US 1 to Trenton...
on the alignment of the turnpike, except for the portion on Jersey Avenue. This alignment was designated as Route 26A, a spur of State Highway Route 26 in 1941, and renumbered in the 1953 state highway renumbering
1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering
On January 1, 1953, the New Jersey Department of Transportation renumbered many of the State Routes. A few rules were followed in deciding what to renumber:...
as Route 91. The route has remained virtually untouched since.
Route description
Route 91 begins at an interchange with U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...
in the North Brunswick Township, New Jersey
North Brunswick Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2010 census, there were 40,742 people, 13,635 households and 9,367 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,018.3 per square mile . There were 13,932 housing units at an average density of 1,158.8 per square mile...
community of Adams. The route heads northward as Jersey Avenue, passing several fields and ponds along a U.S. Route 1 parallel. A short distance later, Route 91 enters the industrial district of North Brunswick, where it reaches a partial interchange with Route 91 Connector, a spur from U.S. Route 1 Northbound to the Route 91 mainline. Paralleling the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail operation run by New Jersey Transit along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad along the section between Trenton, New Jersey and New York Penn Station...
tracks to the west, Jersey Avenue passes through a small corporate park in North Brunswick. A short distance later, Route 91 intersects with Middlesex County Route 680 (How Lane), which connects Route 91 with nearby New Jersey Route 27 and New Jersey Route 26
New Jersey Route 26
Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the to the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the route continued southwest along US 1 to Trenton...
. Upon crossing How Lane, Route 91 crosses the township line and enters the city of New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
.
Route 91 continues northward along Jersey Avenue, passing through the industrial districts in the southeastern portion of the city. With the Northeast Corridor tracks nearby, Route 91 intersects with Triangle Road, where it meets a park & ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
and the service road to the Jersey Avenue
Jersey Avenue (NJT station)
Jersey Avenue Station is a New Jersey Transit station on the Northeast Corridor Line, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is located on Jersey Avenue in an industrial area adjacent to a New Jersey Transit rail yard. Certain rush hour and off-peak trains originate or have their southern terminus at...
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
train station. There, the highway also crosses a railroad spur from the train line. The highway continues, passing to the east of a high school and some commercial buildings, before the Route 91 designation terminates at an intersection with Van Dyke Avenue. Jersey Avenue continues into New Brunswick's center as Middlesex County Route 693.
History
Route 91 is the northernmost portion of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike, a turnpike originally envisioned in 1795 to connect to Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
with New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. However the $300,000 project only received minimal support and died later. Nine years after the original proposal was brought up, the New Jersey State Legislature developed a charter for a new turnpike from Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
to New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. The charter passed on November 14, 1904, for a term of 99 years. The roadway itself was to be 66 feet (20.1 m) wide, running from Warren and Green Streets in Trenton to an unspecified location in New Brunswick. Construction progressed, and by 1806, the turnpike company started tolling the new roadway. A portion of Route 91 and Route 91 Connector was also the site of one of at least three tollgates on the turnpike. After construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
during the 1800s, the railroad was asked by locals to buy the turnpike. Plans fell apart soon after, and in 1903, when the charter term ended, the old turnpike was turned over to the locals.
The New Jersey State Highway Department used the alignment of the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
to designate State Highway Route 26
New Jersey Route 26
Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the to the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the route continued southwest along US 1 to Trenton...
during the 1927 state highway renumbering
1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering
In 1927, New Jersey's state highways were renumbered. The old system, which had been defined in sequence by the legislature, was growing badly, as several routes shared the same number, and many unnumbered state highways had been defined...
from Trenton to New Brunswick. The route continued into New Brunswick, where it would end at Mill Run.
As Route 26 left the path of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike to cross the railroad, State Highway Route 26A was designated in 1941 legislature to continue on the former turnpike to a former railroad crossing in North Brunswick Township. There, State Highway Route 26A continued, splitting onto a new alignment to stay northwest of the railroad, ending at Van Dyke Avenue. The existing Jersey Avenue beyond Van Dyke Avenue was taken over by Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
as County Route 3R20, later renumbered County Route 693.
During the second state highway renumbering
1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering
On January 1, 1953, the New Jersey Department of Transportation renumbered many of the State Routes. A few rules were followed in deciding what to renumber:...
in January 1953, the designation of Route 26 was truncatd from Trenton to U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township. With Route 26A no longer terminating at its parent highway, the suffixed spur was renumbered to Route 91, heading from U.S. Route 1 in Adams to Van Dyke Road. The route has changed little since designation.