text:
New Jersey Route 23

Route 23 is a state highway in the northern part of New Jersey, United States. The route runs 52.63 mi from County Route 506 (Bloomfield Avenue) and County Route 577 (Prospect Avenue) in Verona, Essex County northwest to the border with New York at Montague Township in Sussex County, where the road continues to Port Jervis, New York, as Orange County Route 15. Route 23 heads through Essex and Passaic Counties as a two- to four-lane surface road and becomes a six-lane freeway north of a complex interchange with U.S. Route 46 and Interstate 80 in Wayne. The freeway carries Route 23 north to a concurrency with U.S. Route 202. Past the freeway portion, the route heads northwest along the border of Morris and Passaic Counties as a four- to six-lane arterial road with a wide median at places, winding through mountainous areas and crossing Interstate 287 in Riverdale. The route continues northwest through Sussex County as a mostly two-lane surface road that passes through farmland and woodland as well as the communities of Franklin, Hamburg, and Sussex before reaching the New York state line, just south of an interchange with Interstate 84 and US 6 in Port Jervis, in Montague Township near High Point State Park.

Route 23 was established in 1927 to run from Verona to the New York border near Port Jervis, replacing pre-1927 Route 8 between Verona and Sussex. The route followed two turnpikes that were created in the early 19th century: the Newark-Pompton Turnpike and the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. In the mid-1950s, there were plans to build an Interstate Highway along Route 23 between Interstate 80 and Interstate 287, but it was never built. In the 1960s, the route was planned to be upgraded to a freeway all the way up to Port Jervis and south to Piscataway, Middlesex County; however, both freeway proposals were cancelled in the early 1970s. In the mid-1980s, the portion of Route 23 from north of U.S. Route 46 in Wayne to Interstate 287 in Riverdale was improved, with the road upgraded to a six-lane freeway south of the Alps Road intersection and to a six-lane arterial road north of Alps Road.

Essex and Passaic counties
Route 23 begins at an intersection with County Route 506 (Bloomfield Avenue) and County Route 577 (Prospect Avenue) in Verona, heading to the north through residences and some businesses along four-lane, undivided Pompton Avenue. After a short distance, the road forms the border between Cedar Grove to the west and Verona to the east before fully enters Cedar Grove. In Cedar Grove, the route narrows to two lanes at the County Route 640 before widening to four lanes again at the County Route 639 intersection. Shortly before leaving Cedar Grove, Route 23 crosses County Route 604 (Lindsley Road), which also heads to the west as County Route 527.

The road crosses into Little Falls, Passaic County, where it narrows to two lanes and becomes the Newark-Pompton Turnpike. In Little Falls, Route 23 heads through the central part of the community before crossing the Passaic River into Wayne where the road leaves the Newark-Pompton Turnpike briefly and widens to a four lane divided highway. Route 23 passes two shopping malls, Willowbrook Mall and Wayne Towne Center, and enters the "Spaghetti Bowl" interchange with U.S. Route 46 and Interstate 80. Within this interchange, the route passes under NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line.

North of Interstate 80, the road rejoins the route of the Newark-Pompton Turnpike and becomes a six-lane freeway, featuring a cloverleaf interchange with West Belt Road that provides access to the Wayne Route 23 Transit Center along the Montclair-Boonton Line. Route 23 continues north with frontage roads serving businesses, coming to an interchange with U.S. Route 202 and County Route 511 Alternate, forming a concurrency with U.S. Route 202. The road passes over a Norfolk Southern railroad line before it has an interchange with County Route 670 (Alps Road) and becomes a six-lane arterial road. Following this, the roadway passes west of the Mother's Park & Ride, a park and ride facility serving NJ Transit buses, and reaches an interchange with County Route 683, where the Newark-Pompton Turnpike again leaves Route 23 and U.S. Route 202, which continue north from this point as a surface road through commercial areas. At a U-turn ramp, the eastbound direction of County Route 504 follows both directions of the road, having to use the ramp in order to continue across the road. Northbound U.S. Route 202 splits from Route 23, where the cut-off intersection with County Route 504 is located. At this point, the westbound direction of County Route 504 and the southbound direction of U.S. Route 202 follow southbound Route 23 until an intersection.

Morris and Passaic counties
Route 23 crosses into Pequannock Township in Morris County and passes over the Pompton River. In Pequannock, the road is a six-lane arterial road with at-grade intersections, some controlled by jughandles, that heads through a mix of businesses and woodland. At the north end of Pequannock, the route passes over a New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW) branch line and intersects County Route 660, where the Newark-Pompton Turnpike rejoins Route 23. The route intersects County Route 511 Alternate (Boulevard) and crosses into Riverdale, with County Route 511 Alternate following Route 23 until it heads to the north on the Newark-Pompton Turnpike. Route 23 interchanges with Interstate 287 and climbs a hill past the interchange, heading to the west. The route runs through Kinnelon, passing over the NYSW New Jersey Subdivision line, before entering Butler. In Butler, Route 23 passes through commercial areas, crossing County Route 511 (Boonton Avenue) before heading northwest. The road drops to four lanes, still divided by a Jersey barrier. It heads under Maple Lake Road before passing through Kinnelon again. Upon leaving Kinnelon, the route enters West Milford in Passaic County at the crossing of the Pequannock River. At this point, the route enters a more wooded, mountainous setting, following the Pequannock River and the NYSW line. Route 23 joins the Hamburg Turnpike and the road splits, with the southbound lanes crossing over the Pequannock River into Kinnelon for a time. The route passes by the Charlotteburg Reservoir, a reservoir for the Newark public water supply, and has a rest area in the northbound direction. Route 23 intersects County Route 513 (Union Valley Road), running concurrent with that route. The southbound lanes cross the Pequannock River into Jefferson Township, Morris County and County Route 513 splits from Route 23 by heading south on Green Pond Road. The southbound lanes cross back into West Milford, where the two separate roads rejoin. The Clinton Road intersection has the longest stoplight signal cycle in the United States, with drivers waiting up to 5 minutes and 33 seconds to cross the intersection. Route 23 continues northwest through forested areas, crossing over the railroad tracks and passing by the Oak Ridge Reservoir, another reservoir that provides water for Newark. The route crosses the Pequannock River three times, running within Jefferson Township between the first two crossings and past the third crossing.

Sussex County
Route 23 enters Hardyston Township, Sussex County and comes to an intersection with County Route 515 (Stockholm–Vernon Road). Past this intersection, the divided Hamburg Turnpike highway ends and Route 23 becomes a two-lane, undivided road. The road heads to the northwest through wooded mountains and runs through the community of Stockholm, where it passes east of a park and ride lot located at a church. The route curves west onto a winding road, passing over the NYSW line. The roadway gains a wide painted median, crossing into Franklin and meeting County Route 517 (Munsonhurst Road). County Route 517 heads north along with Route 23, with the wide median ending, and the road continues through residential and commercial areas of Franklin with a brief wide painted median near the County Route 631 (Franklin Avenue) intersection. The road crosses a stream, Mill Brook, into Hamburg, where County Route 517 splits from Route 23 by heading east on Quarry Road. Route 23 continues north through wooded residential areas of Hamburg, passing under the NYSW line and crossing Route 94. The route crosses back into Hardyston Township, heading north through a mix of farms and forests.

Route 23 crosses the Wallkill River into Wantage Township and continues north to an intersection with County Route 565 (Glenwood Road), running concurrent with that route and gaining a wide painted median past that intersection which eventually turns into a center left-turn lane. The road passes some businesses and becomes a two-lane divided highway before County Route 565 departs from Route 23 by heading west on Lewisburg Road. Route 23 crosses into Sussex, where the route becomes a one-way pair along Hamburg Avenue northbound and Walling Avenue southbound, passing by residences. The route intersects Route 284 (East Main Street) before the northbound directions turns left onto Loomis Avenue, where County Route 643 continues north on Main Street. Immediately after turning onto Loomis Avenue, County Route 639 continues west on Loomis Avenue and Route 23 becomes two-way again, heading north on two-lane undivided Mill Street. The route becomes Clove Avenue before crossing back into Wantage Township. In Wantage Township, Route 23 continues north through farmland and woodland, eventually turning west. It comes to an intersection with County Route 519 (Colesville-Lusscroft Road) and turns north, running concurrent with that route through forested areas until County Route 519 heads north on Greenville Road. Route 23 continues northwest and heads across Kittatinny Mountain, crossing the Appalachian Trail and entering Montague Township, Here, the road heads into heavily forested High Point State Park, which is home to the highest elevation in New Jersey. The route descends through Montague Township along a winding road, passing by some businesses immediately before heading to the New York state line. Route 23 officially ends at the state line and the road continues into Orange County, New York as County Route 15 (Tappen Road) for less than one-half mile. A few feet after the state line, County Route 15 comes to an interchange with Interstate 84 before it ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 6 in Port Jervis. Although Interstate 84 does not enter New Jersey, missing it by only a few feet, the signs on it for the interchange with County Route 15 refer to Route 23, even though some signs erroneously refer to it as New York State Route 23.

History
Route 23 follows the course of the Pompton Trail, and old Lenape trail connecting what is now Glen Ridge, New Jersey to the Minisink Village in what is now Montague. In the 19th century, two turnpikes were incorporated that would later become parts of Route 23: the Newark-Pompton Turnpike, which was built between 1806 and 1811; and the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike, which was incorporated in 1806, and was built from Paterson to a landing in Montague Township, where the Owego and Milford Turnpike continued its route west. Parts of the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike are now CR 650 in Sussex County, the Hamburg Turnpike from Butler to Wayne (signed CR 694, CR 689, and CR 504), Central Avenue through Haledon, and into Paterson as Broadway. Due to realignments, the current alignment of Route 23 bypasses the intersection of these two turnpikes. North of Coleville, the road was maintained by the Coleville and Carpenter's Point Turnpike, chartered in 1850.

In the original system of New Jersey highways, the Newark-Pompton Turnpike and Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike were combined to form pre-1927 Route 8, which ran from Montclair to the New York border near Unionville, New York, running along the alignment of current Route 23 north to Sussex and following present-day Route 284 north of Sussex. In the 1927 New Jersey State Highway renumbering, Route 23 was designated to run from Route 9 (now County Route 506) in Verona north to the New York border near Port Jervis, replacing pre-1927 Route 8 from Verona to Sussex. In the 1930s, communities in Passaic and Morris counties were bypassed by four-lane roads, with Bloomingdale and Butler bypassed in 1933, and Pequannock by 1936.

In the 1955 plan for the Interstate Highway System, an Interstate Highway was planned along the Route 23 corridor between Interstate 80 in Wayne and Interstate 287 in Pompton Plains, also connecting to a proposed Interstate along the Route 3 corridor. However, this proposed Interstate was never built. Plans were made in the early 1960s for a Route 23 freeway running from Interstate 80 north to Interstate 84 in Port Jervis, New York, providing improved freeway access to northwestern New Jersey. This proposed freeway, which was to cost $120 million, was cancelled in the early 1970s due to financial troubles and feared environmental issues. A 1966 proposal called for Route 23 to be extended south as a freeway to Interstate 287 in Piscataway in Middlesex County, running parallel to the Garden State Parkway. This $300 million freeway was added to planning maps in 1969 as Route 807 but was also cancelled in the early 1970s.

In the late 1970s, the New Jersey Department of Transportation made plans to rebuild the section of Route 23, at the time a four-lane undivided road, between Interstate 80 and Interstate 287 to a six-lane freeway between Interstate 80 and Alps Road and a six-lane surface road north of Alps Road. Construction on these improvements began in 1983 and were completed in 1986. With these improvements to the route, many traffic circles were removed, including one at U.S. Route 46 that was replaced with a complex interchange. In 2008, the Spaghetti Bowl interchange with Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 46 was improved, costing $70 million.

In 2010, the New Jersey Department of Transportation began plans to move Route 23 to a new alignment through Sussex. With this project, the bridge over the Papakating Creek was replaced and a new road for the southbound lanes was built as an extension of Walling Avenue, while the original Route 23 became northbound only. The project lasted from July 2012 to November 2014.

title: New Jersey Route 23


text:
Hoveton Great Broad

Hoveton Great Broad lies within The Broads in Norfolk, England, between Wroxham Broad and Salhouse Broad.

The broad is connected to the River Bure, but not open to boat traffic. Hoveton Great Broad is part of an ancient navigation that has been deliberately allowed to become closed off to any public access since well before the last War. Recent changes in the official Ordnance Survey tide line mean that it is now tidal water and therefore closed illegally. A nature trail was laid out in 1968 - the first in the region. It is accessible only by boat. Mooring is allowed on the north bank of the Bure, opposite Salhouse Broad.

Natural England has established a Nature trail. From the boardwalk, one can see the broad with its adjoining fens and alder carr.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Hoveton Great Broad


text:
Loddon, Norfolk

Loddon is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England, about 12 mi south-east of Norwich. The town lies on the River Chet, a tributary of the River Yare within The Broads. The name "Loddon" is thought to mean muddy river in Celtic in reference to the Chet.

Origins
The earliest written mention of Loddon (Lodne) is in the will of Ælfric Modercope written in 1042 or 1043. In the will Ælfric split his land holdings in Loddon, Bergh Apton and Barton between the Bishops of Bury, Ely and St Benet of Holme. Ælfric held 450 acre of land in Loddon and was by far the biggest landowner. His manor house is believed to have been close by the church overlooking the river and the fields are known as Manor Yards.

The Parish Council adopted Ælfric for Loddon's town sign in 1961 and the bronze statue still stands on Farthing Green.

Modern times
Although Loddon and Chedgrave have been flooded many times through history, the worst or at least the best documented occasions were in August 1912 and September 1968.

At about midnight on 27 August 1912 a portion of the roadway was washed away and soon afterwards part of the bridge caved in. The footbridge across the river between the two industrial sites disappeared downstream. The mill was in great jeopardy and forty men worked hard to preserve as much of the road as possible. The piling and the banks of the Chet were washed away and some of the wherries broke their moorings.

On 12 September 1968 a great storm followed a very wet summer, so when the heavy rain came that night the ground was too waterlogged to let the rain drain away. According to the Eastern Daily Press it had been Norfolk's wettest ever September day. The torrential rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning and many roads were many inches deep in water.

Governance
The first tier of local government is Loddon Parish Council. The parish is within the areas of South Norfolk District Council and the Broads Authority.

Landmarks
Loddon has many fine buildings; from the 15th-century parish church of Holy Trinity, through the 18th-century "Loddon House" (originally a mental institution), to "Farthing Green House", which is a good example of Georgian architecture.

Holy Trinity Church
The town centre of Loddon, a designated conservation area, is dominated by the Holy Trinity Church dates from 1490 by Sir James Hobart who lived at Hales Hall, and was Attorney General to King Henry VII. The outside of the building is faced with flintwork and the interior contains a hammerbeam roof, Jacobean pulpit, early Edwardian pews with carved poppy-head ends, several table-top tombs, an ancient poor-box and a panel on the painted rood screen which shows William of Norwich, a boy martyr who was falsely claimed to have been crucified by Jews in the 12th century in one of the first blood libels. There is also a medieval baptismal font set high on three steps, however despite its shaft and bowl were originally carved and painted, they were defaced during periods of iconoclasm.

The church is said to have possibly replaced an earlier Norman church and an even older one built by St Felix, Bishop of the East Angles, about 630.

Watermill
There was a mill mentioned at Loddon in the Domesday Book of 1086, and a watermill at Chedgrave in the early 1330s, but there is no evidence for the sites of these mills. The present mill, Loddon watermill near the town centre which is no longer functioning, was built in the 18th century with the river diverted to run underneath it. Loddon watermill was sometimes known as Chedgrave mill and is one of the earliest recorded buildings in the town. It was built of weatherboard with a pantiled roof, and was situated quite close to the centre of the town. The mill pool was never very big, but was apparently a widened and deepened Y-shaped section of river up stream of the mill. This produced adequate power for the miller to meet the needs of the local farmers and villagers. The mill still retains 19th-century milling equipment.

When the mill was built it was found that the best position for it involved diverting the river Chet to the south of its natural course. This involved considerable effort and expense and in times of severe flood the river attempts to revert to its original channel.

Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall was commissioned by a private company and the petty session hearings were held in there for the first time on 10 August 1870.

Education
Loddon is home to three state schools: Loddon Infant and Nursery, Loddon Junior and Hobart High School, one of the few schools in the country to have a 'classroom of the future'. There is also Loddon nursery school education. An independent school Langley School, lies just to the North of Loddon at Langley Park.

The first records about schooling in Loddon mention the school in what is now called the Priest's room in the Holy Trinity Church in 1781. The 19th century saw considerable changes, including a rise in the population and consequently in the number of children. It also saw a rise in the popularity of nonconformist religions and a certain amount of competition in the provision of education for the young.

As well as the established schools there were several private schools in the town at one time or another. The 1851/61/71 census figures show a private school on the east side of Bridge Street.

By 1856 it was decided to build a new school in Loddon for 180 pupils on the site of the old guildhall on Church Plain. Two-thirds of the cost was to come from the Town Estates, which was revenue derived from the renting of Town Farm and other town lands. The rest came from public subscription and an appeal was set up to raise money from the community. The eventual result was a flint faced Gothic Revival building which is still used today as the Loddon Branch Library.

The school term started in 1858 (although the building does not appear to have been finished until 1859), when 99 children from 3–13 years old were entered. Many would not stay at school long, nor attend regularly as the need to supplement the family income when possible could not be ignored. Many children had a long walk to school, which could be impossible in bad weather. This building was used as a school until 1969.

Industry
Previous industries included egg packing and corn grinding. Loddon also had a gas and brick works.

Nowadays the north of the town has many boatyards situated on the River Chet. These provide yachtsmen and hire boat crews during the season and together with the boat-building and letting yards, make an important contribution to the economy of the town.

Loddon also has a small industrial area situated at the south of the town. Engineering and other industries sited on this industrial estate provide employment for local people. However, Express Plastics, one of the major employers has recently moved to Beccles. The site is to become a small housing estate. A famous East Anglian company Anglian Bus started in Loddon in 1986 before expansion resulted in moving to Beccles.

The Loddon and District Business Association, which was formed in 2011, represents all businesses in the area both micro and multimillion-pound industry. They work together to enhance the community life and ensure that growth increases and the facilities needed in a community of this size are met.

Tourism
Today the River Chet is one of the focal points for boating tourism within the southern Broads area and is the only such centre within South Norfolk District.

Further downriver still can be found Hardley Flood, a good spot for bird watching.

Village of the Year
In 2005, Loddon was chosen to represent Norfolk in the National Calor Village of the Year Competition. In December 2005 representatives from Loddon, including local business woman Caroline Dwen and Lady Kate Hartland, went to London to the National Presentation Ceremony where the town had won the first prize for the East Region.

Media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia. Television signals are received from the Tacolneston TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Norfolk, Heart East, Kiss, and Greatest Hits Radio East (formerly Radio Norwich 99.9). The town is served by the local newspaper, Beccles & Bungay Journal including the regional newspaper, Eastern Daily Press.

Transport
The A146 bypasses Loddon heading north-east to Norwich and south-east to Beccles and Lowestoft. The route east to Great Yarmouth lies along the B1136 and A143. Both First Norfolk & Suffolk and Konectbus provide bus services to Norwich and Lowestoft via Beccles. Ambassador Travel runs services to Thurlton, Seething, Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

The Broads system of waterways is connected to the River Chet and mooring is available to the east of the town.

Nearest places

 * Chedgrave – 1/2 mi north
 * Hales – 1+1/4 mi south-east
 * Thurton – 2+1/2 mi north-west
 * Mundham – 2+4/5 mi west
 * Thurlton – 3+1/2 mi east
 * Seething – 3 mi west

Sport
A wide variety of sport is on offer in Loddon and the close surrounding area. The Hobart High School gym is used for many groups as is the Loddon and Chedgrave Jubilee Hall and other halls in the community.

There is a local football team called Loddon United. The team plays at The Playing Field, Jubilee Hall (locally referred to as 'The Jub'), Georges Lane, Loddon. There is also a youth football club, Loddon Grasshoppers, with teams for under 8s up to under 16s, including an under 13s girls team.

Loddon Ladies Hockey, Loddon Squash Club, White Dolphins Swimming for children, Loddon and Hales Cricket Club, Loddon Bowls Club, Loddon Community Gym, Short tennis, Short Mat Bowls, Badminton, Tumble Tots, Excelsior Keep Fit for over 50s, Tennis Club, Tennis Coaching, Junior Gymnastics, Junior Karate, Fencing, Volleyball, Pilates, Aerobics, Junior Trampoline, Medau Keep Fit, Indoor Bowls, Funky Feet Ballet, Yoga, Running Club, Darts and Walking with the Loddon and Chedgrave District Society.

Notable people

 * Rodwell House in Loddon was for many years the residence of the Buxton baronets.
 * Adam Drury – Footballer for Norwich City Football Club used to reside in Loddon.
 * Davy Jones from the Monkees lived there briefly as a boy.

title: Loddon, Norfolk


text:
New Jersey Route 24

Route 24 is a 10.42 mi freeway in New Jersey, United States, that begins at a junction with Interstate 287 (I-287) in Hanover Township in Morris County, passes southeast through Essex County, and ends at a junction with I-78 in Springfield Township in Union County.

The route was created in 1927 to run from Phillipsburg to Newark, replacing pre-1927 Route 12 from Phillipsburg to Penwell and Pre-1927 Route 5 from Morristown to Newark. The route was extended west to the new Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge in 1938 but was cut back to U.S. Route 22 (US 22) in the eastern part of Phillipsburg in 1953. The western terminus was cut back further around 1970 to Hackettstown with the route west of there becoming part of Route 57. The freeway alignment of Route 24 between John F. Kennedy Parkway and I-78 was completed in 1976.

With the completion of this freeway, Route 24 east of John F. Kennedy Parkway became Route 124. The freeway was completed between the abandoned Triborough Road interchange and the JFK Parkway interchange in the 1970s but was not opened until 1992, when the rest of the freeway to I-287 was completed after years of legal, environmental and budgetary problems. At this time, the alignment of Route 24 between US 202 in Morristown and JFK Parkway became a western extension of Route 124 while the route was officially eliminated between Hackettstown and Morristown as it followed county-maintained routes. The former route between Hackettstown and Morristown is still referred to as Route 24 by many and is still signed as such due to local outcry.

Route description
Route 24 begins at an interchange with Interstate 287 in Hanover Township, Morris County, heading southeast on a six-lane freeway. The route interchanges with County Route 511 (CR 511, Whippany Road) with a westbound exit and eastbound entrance and crosses into Morris Township. Route 24 crosses back into Hanover Township, where it passes over County Route 623 (Park Avenue) and narrows to four lanes, and intersects County Route 510 (Columbia Turnpike) at a cloverleaf interchange near the Morristown Municipal Airport. Just past this interchange, the freeway crosses into Florham Park, heading southeast and passing through Madison before crossing back into Florham Park. Route 24 passes under Triborough Road and enters Chatham Borough. An abandoned cloverleaf interchange exists at this location, as Triborough Road was to be an extension of Eisenhower Parkway.

Route 24 crosses into Millburn Township, Essex County, widens to six lanes, and passes over the Passaic River. In Millburn Township, the route interchanges with Route 124, County Route 649 (John F. Kennedy Parkway), and River Road. This interchange provides access to The Mall at Short Hills. Past this interchange, Route 124 becomes a frontage road for the Route 24 freeway and the freeway forms the border between the city of Summit in Union County and Millburn Township. After bisecting the Canoe Brook Country Club, the highway interchanges with County Route 657 (Summit Avenue). Route 24 continues along the Summit-Millburn border until it fully enters Millburn and intersects County Route 608 (Hobart Avenue) with a westbound exit and eastbound entrance. Past this interchange, the Route 124 frontage road ends, with Route 124 following the freeway closely to the north as a two-way road, and Route 24 crosses into Summit before passing under NJ Transit's Morris & Essex Lines. The freeway then interchanges with County Route 512 (Broad Street) with a westbound exit and entrance and eastbound exit and County Route 527 (Morris Avenue) with an eastbound exit and entrance, entering Springfield Township. Route 24 continues southeast toward its terminus at an interchange with Interstate 78.

History
Route 24 follows the course of the Great Minisink Trail, and old Lenape trail running from Minisink Village in what is now Montague Township to Navesink. In 1801, the Morris Turnpike was legislated to run along this trail from Newton through Morristown to Elizabeth. In 1806, the Washington Turnpike was legislated to run from Morristown to Philipsburg. In 1916, both of these routes were incorporated into the William Penn Highway, which diverged from the Morris Turnpike at Springfield to service Newark by the old Springfield and Newark Turnpike, and diverged north to Hackettstown via Schooley's Mountain Road and modern-day Route 57. That same year, the state put a part of Pre-1927 Route 12 (from Phillipsburg to Penwell) and part of Pre-1927 Route 5 (from Morristown to Newark) on this route.

In the 1927 highway renumbering, Route 24 was created to run from downtown Phillipsburg at the Northampton Street Bridge over the Delaware River east to Route 25 (now US 1/9) in Newark, almost completely superseding the William Penn Highway. The only diversion from that route was a proposed highway from Penwell to Long Valley, closely paralleling the Washington Turnpike. Two spurs of Route 24 numbered Route S24 were created in 1927, both of which were renumbered in the 1953 renumbering. The western Route S24 replaced the William Penn Highway and ran northeast from Penwell to Hackettstown, and is now mostly Route 57. The eastern Route S24 ran from Springfield to Elizabeth, and is now mostly Route 82. In addition, Route 24N was a planning number for the approach to the new Delaware River crossing (the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge) in Phillipsburg that opened in 1938. However, before the bridge opened, Route 24N was instead built simply as an extension of Route 24. Between 1938 and 1941, this segment was also designated as part of a rerouted US 22. In the 1953 renumbering, Route 24’s western terminus was cut back to US 22 in eastern Phillipsburg (removing the concurrency in that town) and the incomplete section of Route 24 between Penwell and Long Valley was bridged by signing the route along the former Route S24 and CR 517. Around 1970, Route 24 west of Hackettstown became part of Route 57.

Plans for the Route 24 freeway originate in 1950 when a bypass of the many congested towns along the route was planned; this bypass was designated as a freeway in 1952. In 1959, the freeway was planned on its current alignment, running from I-287 near Morristown to I-78 in Springfield Township, with approval in 1960. In 1962, plans were made to extend the Route 24 freeway west to US 22 in Phillipsburg. In the 1970s, this western extension was cut back to US 206 in Chester. It was put on hold in 1982, largely because its route was planned through protected wetlands and forests. In 1970, the Route 24 freeway was planned to become part of a western extension of I-278, which would have run northwest from its current terminus at US 1/9 in Linden to I-78, which it would have followed west for a mile to the Route 24 freeway. However, this proposal was rejected by the Federal Highway Administration.

Construction on the section of the Route 24 freeway between the John F. Kennedy Parkway on the Essex/Morris County border and I-78 began in 1967 and was finished in 1976. With the completion of this section, the former alignment of Route 24 between the John F. Kennedy Parkway and the boundary between Maplewood and Irvington, including frontage roads built alongside a portion of the freeway in the Short Hills area, was designated as Route 124. The section across Chatham Borough from the John F. Kennedy Parkway to shortly past the still-existing unused cloverleaf interchange at the Florham Park borough line, once signed as the Tri-Borough Road, a never-built southern extension of the Eisenhower Parkway, was built in 1973-74 but not opened as it did not provide any connections to existing roads. Plans were made to finish the rest of the freeway to I-287; however construction was halted for many years due to legal, environmental and budgetary problems. Construction finally began on this portion of freeway in 1988. Route 24 was finally completed through to the intersection with I-287 in Hanover Township on November 17, 1992, and at that time the Route 24 designation was limited to strictly that freeway.

Following the completion of the freeway, the former signed route of Route 24 between the junction with US 202 in Morristown and the John F. Kennedy Parkway became a western extension of Route 124. The western portion between Route 57 and Route 182 in Hackettstown and US 202 officially had the Route 24 designation removed as the road has always been county-maintained rather than state-maintained. The New Jersey Department of Transportation has tried to remove signs from this section, but locals protested because of their familiarity with the Route 24 designation. Along this route, the road is known as CR 517 from the Morris County/Warren County border to the Long Valley section of Washington Township, CR 513 from Long Valley to Chester Borough, and CR 510 from Chester Borough to Morristown. This route is also known as Old Route 24 along with its names and county route numbers.

title: New Jersey Route 24


text:
New Jersey Route 29

Route 29 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Signed north-south, it runs 34.76 mi from an interchange with Interstate 295 (I-295) in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, where the road continues east as I-195, northwest to Route 12 (Bridge Street / Race Street) in Frenchtown, Hunterdon County. Between the southern terminus and I-295 in Ewing Township, the route is a mix of expressway and boulevard that runs along the Delaware River through Trenton. This section includes a truck-restricted tunnel that was built along the river near historic houses and Riverview Cemetery. North of I-295, Route 29 turns into a scenic and mostly two-lane highway. North of the South Trenton Tunnel, it is designated the Delaware River Scenic Byway, a New Jersey Scenic Byway and National Scenic Byway, that follows the Delaware River in mostly rural sections of Mercer County and Hunterdon County. The obsolete Delaware & Raritan Canal usually stands between the river and the highway. Most sections of this portion of Route 29 are completely shaded due to the tree canopy. Route 29 also has a spur, Route 129, which connects Route 29 to U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Trenton.

Route 29 was initially designated in 1927 to run from downtown Trenton northeast to Newark, following present-day Route 179 and US 202 between Lambertville and Somerville and US 22 between Somerville and Newark. The route between Lambertville and Frenchtown was originally Route 29A. In 1953, Route 29 was shifted to follow the alignment of Route 29A to avoid the concurrencies with the U.S. Routes. Route 29 between South Warren Street in Trenton and I-95 (now I-295) in Ewing Township was upgraded to a four-lane expressway, with a portion of freeway, in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1995, the southern freeway part of Route 29 between I-195/I-295 and Route 129 in Hamilton Township was completed. This freeway section was linked to the rest of Route 29 by a tunnel completed in 2002. A realignment of Route 29 in Lambertville by the 2000s made the route concurrent with the entire length of 0.26 mi Route 165.

Mercer County
Route 29 begins at a modified cloverleaf interchange with I-195 and I-295 in Hamilton Township, and it serves as the western continuation of I-195, heading to the northwest as a six-lane freeway. The route has an interchange with Route 129, a spur of Route 29 which connects to US 1. At this interchange, the route passes over NJ Transit's River Line. Route 29 narrows to four lanes past this interchange and crosses into Trenton. The route comes to a southbound exit and entrance for Lamberton Road. At this point, Route 29 becomes the Delaware River Scenic Byway, a state scenic byway that was also designated a National Scenic Byway in 2009. Route 29 runs along the bank of the Delaware River and enters a truck-restricted tunnel that passes by historic houses and Riverview Cemetery. Within this tunnel, Route 29 features a southbound exit and northbound entrance for Lalor Street. The route emerges from the tunnel and passes east of Trenton Thunder Ballpark, the home ballpark of the Trenton Thunder baseball team. The road becomes a six-lane expressway known as John Fitch Way at a traffic light at Thunder Road/Cass Street. Route 29 meets South Warren Street at another traffic light. The median widens and it becomes a six-lane freeway, passing under the Morrisville–Trenton Railroad Bridge, which carries Amtrak's Northeast Corridor over the Delaware River.

Route 29 passes under the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge, which carries US 1 over the Delaware River. Access to US 1 south is provided by ramps from Route 29 while access to Route 29 from US 1 north is provided by South Warren Street. Route 29 passes under the Lower Trenton Bridge and the median narrows again. It interchanges with Market Street, which provides access to Route 33, and then features an interchange with Memorial Drive which provides access to the New Jersey State House with a northbound exit and southbound entrance. Route 29 crosses the Assunpink Creek and features an interchange which provides access to South Warren Street with exits in both directions but only a northbound entrance. Route 29 continues to a cloverleaf interchange with Calhoun Street (County Route 653, CR 653), which provides access to the Calhoun Street Bridge over the Delaware River, where it narrows to four lanes. Riverside Avenue exits as a frontage road paralleling the northbound lanes of Route 29 before the road features a northbound exit for Hermitage Avenue. Route 29 comes to a partial interchange with Parkside Avenue, with a northbound exit and southbound entrance, and then features a northbound exit for South Eastfield Avenue.

Route 29 becomes a four-lane boulevard at the intersection with Lee Avenue, where it continues northwest along the Delaware River. The route meets the southern terminus of CR 579 (Sullivan Way). The median widens again and then narrows as the route meets the southern terminus of Route 175, a former alignment of Route 29 that currently serves as a frontage road. Route 29 becomes a four-lane expressway known as Daniel Bray Highway before crossing into Ewing Township. It passes under the West Trenton Railroad Bridge, which carries CSX's Trenton Subdivision and SEPTA's West Trenton Line over the Delaware River. Route 29 intersects Route 175 again and then comes to a complex interchange with I-295, with the ramps within the median of Route 29, just to the east of the Scudder Falls Bridge.

Upon crossing the Delaware and Raritan Canal, Route 29 becomes a two-lane surface road known as River Road. It continues along the Delaware River, next to the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which runs between Route 29 and the river. The route intersects the northern terminus of Route 175. Farther north, Route 29 enters Hopewell Township and continues into a more rural setting shaded with trees. Route 29 heads to Washington Crossing State Park, where it intersects CR 546, which heads east on Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, and the approach to the Washington Crossing Bridge, which continues into Pennsylvania and connects to Pennsylvania Route 532 (PA 532). Route 29 continues north along the Delaware River through Titusville, passing by Washington Crossing State Park.

Hunterdon County
Route 29 crosses into West Amwell Township in Hunterdon County. It enters Lambertville, where Route 29 becomes a four-lane divided highway. At the intersection of South Main Street, Route 29 becomes concurrent with Route 165. The route becomes an undivided highway again and meets the western terminus of CR 518 (Brunswick Street). It meets Route 179 (Bridge Street), where Route 165 ends and Route 29 turns west for a one-block wrong-way concurrency with the two-lane, undivided Route 179, lasting to the intersection of Main Street, where Route 29 turns north on Main Street. Route 29 follows Main Street north through Lambertville, crossing into Delaware Township. It comes to an interchange with US 202 just east of the New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge, with access to northbound US 202 and from southbound US 202 provided by way of Alexauken Creek Road. Route 29 continues along the Delaware River and enters Stockton. The route intersects Bridge Street, which crosses the Delaware River on the Centre Bridge–Stockton Bridge and continues into Pennsylvania as PA 263. Shortly after that intersection, Route 29 intersects the southern terminus of CR 523 (Stockton-Flemington Road). Route 29 crosses back into Delaware Township, where it meets the southern terminus of CR 519 (Kingwood-Stockton Road).

Route 29 makes a sharp left turn and heads west along the river as a rural road, crossing into Kingwood Township, where the name of the road changes from Main Street to Daniel Bray Highway. Here, it intersects with CR 651 (Byram-Kingwood Road). The route bends to the north and continues along the Delaware River for several miles, crossing into Frenchtown, where the route becomes Trenton Road. Upon entering Frenchtown, an end shield for northbound Route 29 is posted to mark the end of state maintenance, which officially ends at the Washington Street intersection, where maintenance is transferred to the county. Despite this, Route 29 officially continues farther north along Trenton Road to its northern terminus at Route 12 (Bridge Street/Race Street), a short distance east of Route 12’s western terminus at the Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge. The southern terminus of CR 513 is located a block north of the northern terminus of Route 29 along Route 12.

History
The current route was originally legislated in 1911 as part of the Delaware River Drive, a named state highway that was proposed to run from along the Delaware River from Trenton north to the New York border in Montague Township. Route 29 was originally defined in 1927 to run from Trenton to Newark. The original route ran from downtown Trenton along State Street and Sanhican Drive. From there, it followed its current alignment to Lambertville, where it followed present-day Route 179 to Ringoes to present-day CR 514, which it followed to Woods Tavern. The route turned north on US 206 (also designated Route 31) and followed that route to Somerville, where it followed US 22 to Newark. The current alignment of Route 29 from Lambertville to Route 12 in Frenchtown was designated Route 29A in 1927.

The alignment of Route 29 between Ringoes and Somerville was eventually shifted to follow present-day US 202, which was also Route 30 (now Route 31) between Ringoes and Flemington and Route 12 between Flemington and Somerville. In 1938, Route 29B was planned as an extension of Route 29A from Frenchtown to Route 28 (now Route 122) in Alpha. While this road was never built, much of the alignment north of Milford is served by CR 519. In 1948, a spur route, Route S29, was created, running along US 202 (Bridge Street) in Lambertville to the New Hope–Lambertville Bridge. In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 29 was redefined to continue north from Lambertville to Frenchtown on Route 29A, and the Route 29 designation between Lambertville and Newark was removed in favor of US 202 between Lambertville and Somerville and US 22 between Somerville and Newark. The section of former Route 29 between Route 29A and Route S29 became Route 165.

Plans for a limited-access route along the Route 29 corridor go back to 1932, when a parkway was proposed along the Delaware River between Trenton and Lambertville; this proposal never materialized. Plans to construct a freeway from Hamilton Township to I-95 (now I-295) in Ewing Township were resurrected in the early 1950s. This road was built between 1954 and 1957 from South Warren Street in Trenton to present-day I-295 in Ewing Township. From just south of Calhoun Street north to I-295, Route 29 utilized the right-of-way of what remained of the Trenton Water Power Canal, a 19th century waterway utilized by the mills of Trenton for water power. The freeway's construction resulted in the filling of the canal, and also took up much of Trenton’s available waterfront along the Delaware River, destroying a Stacy Park, a major waterfront park, despite protests, which contributed to the population decline and economic impoverishment of Trenton over the ensuing decades. The former alignment of Route 29 in the northern part of Trenton and in Ewing Township became Route 175.

Between 1990 and 1995, the Route 29 freeway was built between the I-195/I-295 interchange and Route 129 in Hamilton Township. A two-lane street, Lamberton Road, connected the two freeway sections. Plans were then made to fill the gap between the two freeway sections in Trenton. Construction began in 1997 on the Route 29 freeway between Route 129 and the Morrisville–Trenton Railroad Bridge. The road was to include two traffic lights at Cass Street and South Warren Street and a tunnel which was to be built as a covered roadway on the bank of the Delaware River. The tunnel was originally scheduled to be complete by 2001 but was delayed after the Army Corps of Engineers discovered many environmental violations that occurred with construction of the tunnel. The roof was put in place in October 2001 and the tunnel officially opened to traffic on March 2, 2002. A restriction to trucks over 13 tons was put in place and made permanent in November 2002.

By the 2000s, the state gave the part of Route 29 (South Main Street) between Route 165 and Route 179 in Lambertville to the city, and Route 29 was rerouted to use all of Route 165 and one block of Route 179. Prior to this, South Main Street had been turned one-way southbound. Route 165, which is only signed on overhead street signs, still exists, though it is fully concurrent with Route 29.

A part of Route 29 was designated in 1959 as the John Fitch Parkway, honoring inventor John Fitch, "beginning with the bridge crossing over the Assunpink Creek at the conjunction of Factory Street with John Fitch Way in the city of Trenton and including the traffic circle surrounding the War Memorial building and the freeway extending in a westerly direction therefrom, along the bank of the Delaware river, to the city line of the city of Trenton..." During the 1960s the War Memorial and the surrounding circle were bypassed by a realignment of Route 29 closer to the Delaware River.

In 1960, the New Jersey Legislature designated the portion of Route 29 north of Trenton as the Daniel Bray Highway to commemorate American Revolutionary War Captain Daniel Bray, a native of Kingwood Township.

In talks since the 1980s, the section of Route 29 in Trenton has been considered being redeveloped in order to connect city residents with the waterfront once again. In July 2023, Trenton was granted $1.016 million from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to study proposals for redevelopment of the waterfront. The main plan is to turn Route 29 into an urban boulevard, as well as build a new mixed-used community adjacent to the waterfront, which includes a few new streets. The new layout for Route 29 would veer the road slightly inland to open up the waterfront between the State House and Route 1, aligning the new boulevard with the original road along Stacy Park. Additionally, the area around Riverview Plaza is supposed to receive pedestrian and cycling improvements as a part of the new Delaware River Heritage Trail. The main area of redevelopment, which mostly consists of parking lots surrounding governmental buildings, will include various developments, including low and mid-rise mixed use residential buildings, an office building in the lot adjacent to the NJ Department of Labor building, a public square, expansion of greenery around the William Trent House, and a new parking facility. There is currently no timeframe for when construction would begin.

title: New Jersey Route 29


text:
New Jersey Route 26

Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running 2.54 mi along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the route continued southwest along US 1 to Trenton. Livingston Avenue inside New Brunswick, southwest of Suydam Street, is the 1.08 mi County Route 691 (CR 691). The 0.39 mi from Suydam Street to its end at George Street is part of Route 171, also maintained by Middlesex County.

Route 26 originates as the alignment of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike, chartered in 1803 from Warren and Green Streets in Trenton to New Brunswick. The turnpike lasted for 99 years, fighting with railroads, canals and stagecoaches to stay in business. The road was designated State Highway Route 26 in the 1927 state highway renumbering, running from the state line in Trenton to State Highway Route S-28 in New Brunswick along the turnpike and Livingston Avenue. The route remained intact, becoming part of an engineering feat meant for the safety of drivers. In 1952, the route became part of the Trenton Freeway until the Route 26 designation was truncated back to North Brunswick Township in the 1953 state highway renumbering. The route was further truncated back from Route 18 in the 1970s in New Brunswick to its current northern terminus at Nassau Street.

Route description
Route 26 begins at an interchange with US 1 in North Brunswick Township. The roadway heads westward as the Livingston Avenue Extension, crossing south of a pond and to the north a car dealership. Approaching the Northeast Corridor line maintained by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, Route 26 curves to the north, crossing under US 1 and paralleling Route 91 (Jersey Avenue). Passing to the east of a railroad fork, Route 26 parallels the Northeast Corrdior tracks as Livingston Avenue, crossing through an industrial area and intersecting with the Route 26 Connector soon after. The highway continues to the west of an industrial and commercial park and continues northward, crossing the commercial district of North Brunswick. The roadway then intersects North Oaks Boulevard, which connects Route 26 and Route 1 via a residential complex. Running northward through the commercial district, Route 26 enters a more residential region around the intersection with Jessica Lane. The highway continues northward, intersecting with Middlesex County Route 680 (How Lane) at a traffic light a short distance later. Route 26 continues northward along Livingston Avenue, passing to the east of residential homes and to the west of commercial businesses. The route enters the northernmost business area of North Brunswick, intersecting with local roads along with passing a large number of businesses. After continuing down the business strip, Route 26 intersects with 14th Street and Hermann Road at a traffic light. Hermann Road heads eastward towards the town hall and Route 171. Livingston Avenue continues northward, crossing through industrial, commercial and residential districts in rapid succession. At the intersection with 12th Street, the highway enters New Brunswick. Entering another residential district, Route 26 intersects with Nassau Street, where the state-maintenance and designation ends. Livingston Avenue, which was previously designated Route 26, continues under the designation of CR 691.

Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike
Route 26 followed a majority of the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike, a gravel toll road envisioned in 1795 to connect Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with New York City. People raised money for the new turnpike, which was to cost $300,000 (1795 dollars) by selling 75,000 shares at $4 apiece. From there, officials would request charters from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania for creation of the highway. Although officials in cities like New Brunswick were supportive of the plan, insufficient funds were raised and the plans eventually folded. On November 14, 1804, the plans for a turnpike went forward once again, with the New Jersey State Legislature chartered the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike, a new toll road between the two cities. In Trenton, the turnpike was to begin at either Warren or Green Streets, heading along the current US 1 corridor to New Brunswick, where it would end. The new charter set a term of 99 years for the corporation. Two thousand shares of stock in the corporation were to be sold at $100 apiece (1804 dollars). Tolls for the highway would cost from half a cent to two cents a mile, as approved by the State Legislature.

On August 9, 1805, the commissioners of the turnpike met in the community of Kingston to appoint officers and to begin to lay out the new highway. Enough of the 2,000 shares had been subscribed, and the commissioners went ahead and approved a survey map created for the turnpike. By 1806, a portion of the new turnpike was opened and tolls were being collected on the new highway. On November 28, 1806, a second charter was passed in the legislature to grant fines of $20 (1806 dollars) for evading tolls or defacing property along the turnpike. In 1807, the road was completed, and Henry Gallatin, the United States Secretary of the Treasury, reported that the alignment of the 25 mi long turnpike was nearly straight except for an "obstruction" at Sand Hills, where they had to dig into the hill to create the highway. The new turnpike was 36 ft wide and had stone abutments for the new wooden bridges.

The turnpike was heavily trafficked, with several forms of transportation using it at a time. There were three tollgates along the turnpike, one at around 4 mi from Trenton, one at Ridge Road and one at the current railroad crossing for US 1. Toll collectors on the turnpike would often have a hard time counting the number of horses at a tollgate because of kicked up smoke and dust. During the War of 1812, the turnpike gained record usage, moving goods between Philadelphia and New York. A third supplement was added to the charter in January 1814, where the turnpike corporation would have to upgrade the road in eighteen months or face removal of tolls. If they did not, tollgates would be removed from the turnpike. Although the corporation upgraded the route in 1827, the road was still very tough to travel for passengers and people hauling expensive goods. During the early 19th century, the turnpike was profiting from stagecoach companies, which had about six different lines winding through the turnpike. When the Delaware and Raritan Canal and Camden and Amboy Railroad were constructed during the 19th century, the profits began to dwindle and the turnpike could not handle the expenses for stagecoaches.

To cause further problems, in 1832, the New Jersey State Legislature approved the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad, a railroad to connect the two cities. A further note was made that the railroad could acquire the old turnpike for railroad right-of-way to connect Philadelphia and New York. That December, the railroad company attempted to merge the turnpike company into theirs, but faced opposition. In 1834, the turnpike company requested the choice to put another railroad on their turnpike right-of-way, but the monopoly from the Delaware and Raritan Canal and Camden and Amboy Railroad immediately opposed. Later that year, the Philadelphia and Trenton gained a controlling interest in the turnpike company, with hopes to lay the tracks on the right-of-way. The railroad company petitioned the state legislature to let them lay tracks, but the votes turned against their favor. After the Camden and Amboy commandeered control of the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad, a secret truce was made in 1835, which left the construction of a railroad to become a dead proposal, and the right-of-way remained a road. However, the turnpike was already hurting for funds, as passenger and most stagecoach traffic had moved to the Camden and Amboy Railroad. The last stagecoach line left went out of business soon after becoming the only stagecoach line along the turnpike, which cut turnpike revenues drastically.

By 1858, the turnpike had basically begun to fold, with tolls only being charged at one gate for several years as most traffic had moved to rails rather than road. That year however, there were some upgrades made to the road, but not by much. In 1867, the competitor Camden and Amboy Railroad merged with the United New Jersey Railroad to create a new company. In December 1871, that company then became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which was one of the major railroads at that point. The railroad also took over jurisdiction of the turnpike. In 1899, people from Trenton and nearby Penns Neck approached the railroad to help reconstruct the old turnpike road, but no full proposal ever came forward. By 1903, the 1804 charter had expired, and the roadway was placed under public control, but was still in a derelict condition.

Route 26 is designated
In 1927, about 24 years after the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike was revert to the state for future usage, the New Jersey State Highway Department designated the entire alignment from the Trenton-Morrisville Bridge in Trenton to the area around the Mile Run Brook in New Brunswick as a part of State Highway Route 26. The designation, assigned as part of the 1927 state highway renumbering covered the current alignments of most of U.S. Route 1 from Trenton (including its business loop) to where Route 26 turned onto Livingston Avenue. From there, Route 26 continued along Livingston Avenue past Nassau Street and into the city of New Brunswick, ending near an intersection with State Highway Route S-28 (George Street). Construction of the new highway continued northward, with a portion of the highway still unconstructed by June 1930, a 2 mi portion near the Adams train station and part of Livingston Avenue still was not constructed to full state standards.

Route 26 along with State Highway Route 25 soon became high-use routes to get drivers from Philadelphia to New York via New Brunswick as the large high-speed roadway. In the 1927 renumbering, a connection from Route 26 to Route 25 was also assigned, bypassing to the south of New Brunswick. This route was designated as State Highway Route S-26, a route completely concurrent with U.S. Route 1. In 1931, the State Highway Department contracted plans for a new bridge over the Delaware and Raritan Canal near Bakers Basin. Although Route 26 was considered the longest straight section of highway in the state, the new freeway would get rid of a dangerous S-curve along the highway. On January 30, 1932, the State Highway Department opened the newly constructed Calhoun Street Extension to traffic. This new freeway, designated as part of Route 26, was constructed as a bypass of the business districts in Trenton and Morrisville, Pennsylvania with a new traffic circle from the Route 26 mainline (now the Brunswick Circle). Calhoun Street was realigned in the process to help make traffic flow.

In October 1935, the State Highway Department started work on moving an 8 mi stretch of Route 26 over 12 ft from its current alignment. The project, considered unprecedented in history, was tested in September of that year near Penns Neck to certify the feasibility of such an accomplishment. Work started in October, costing the state $400,000 (1935 dollars), including money from the Public Works Administration. The stretch of highway from Ridge Road to Adams Station Road was to be moved over to reduce the number of accidents occurring along the former alignment. In 1934 alone, accidents along Route 26 caused 90 fatalities, with a similar figure occurring until that point in 1935. By November 1936, the project had completed 7 mi of the proposed 8 mi conversion, an engineering feat of the time. The men who were doing this were considered "experts" in the jobs. By February 1939, the project had ballooned in price, reaching $842,000 (1939 dollars) and the project was still incomplete. The missing work included a new island for a median.

During the 1930s, the outcry for lighting along State Highway Routes 26 and 25 began to rise with the number of traffic accidents. Approximately 7.70% of traffic were in accidents along Route 26 at nighttime contrary to 2.42% during the daytime. Although lighting was still in testing by 1938 (with State Highway Route 24 as a test highway), Route 26 still had a high night accident rate, urging further actions for lighting the new roadway. During the 1940s, the Middlesex County officials designated Route 26 (Livingston Avenue) through New Brunswick as County Highway 3-R-16, but was signed as part of Route 26 to its end at State Highway Route S-28 (George Street). In 1941, the State Highway Department designated a spur along Jersey Avenue in North Brunswick and New Brunswick, which was taken over as State Highway Route 26-A, that provided direct access to State Highway Route 27 in New Brunswick. In 1947, the New Jersey State Highway Department expanded a 10 mi stretch of three-lane roadway to four lanes for $500,000. This addition of new lanes was started to help safety of drivers down Route 26.

Trenton Freeway and truncation

During the 1950s, plans arose in Trenton to construct a new bypass of the city to the west. The bypass, to be a four-lane freeway, was designated as another portion of Route 26 when the highway was constructed in 1952. The new route also included the construction of the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, a $6.25 million (1952 dollars) span across the Delaware River. Just 30 days after the new Trenton Freeway was opened to automobile traffic, the highways were renumbered around the state. Route 26 was truncated back from the state line in Trenton to an interchange with U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick Township, while its alignment became State Route 174 (a portion of the Trenton Freeway), U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 1 Alternate. The two suffixed spurs of Route 26 were also truncated, with State Highway Route 26-A becoming Route 91, and State Highway Route S-26 becoming only a portion of U.S. Route 1. The route, however, continued into downtown New Brunswick, where it terminated at Route 18. By the 1980s, Route 26 had been truncated back to Nassau Street. The county-maintained portion became Middlesex County Route 691 while the northernmost portion of Livingston Avenue became part of Route 171.

title: New Jersey Route 26


text:
Michael McKean

Michael John McKean (born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in Laverne & Shirley, David St. Hubbins in This Is Spinal Tap, and Chuck McGill on Better Call Saul.

McKean's breakout role was annoying neighbor Lenny Kosnowski on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He played David St. Hubbins, lead vocalist and co-lead guitarist of the fictional rock band Spinal Tap in This Is Spinal Tap and had roles in several Christopher Guest ensemble films. He co-wrote the song "A Mighty Wind" (for the Guest film A Mighty Wind), for which he won a Grammy Award, as well as "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from the same film, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. McKean was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for its 19th and 20th seasons in the mid-1990s.

McKean received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2019 for his performance as Chuck McGill on Better Call Saul. In 2020, he appeared alongside Martin Freeman in the first season of parental comedy series Breeders. He is the current voice of Lou Pickles in Nickelodeon's Rugrats franchise.

Early life
McKean was born October 17, 1947, in New York City at Manhattan Women's Hospital. He is the son of Ruth Stewart McKean, a librarian, and Gilbert S. McKean, one of the founders of Decca Records, and was raised in Sea Cliff, New York, on Long Island. McKean is of Irish, English, Scottish, and some German and Dutch descent. He graduated from North Shore High School in 1965. In early 1967, he was briefly a member of the New York City "baroque pop" band the Left Banke and played on the "Ivy, Ivy" single (B-side: "And Suddenly").

Career
McKean began his career (as well as the characters of Lenny and Squiggy) in Pittsburgh while a student at Carnegie Mellon; David Lander was a fellow student at CMU. Their partnership grew after graduation as part of the comedy group The Credibility Gap with Harry Shearer in Los Angeles, but McKean's breakthrough came in 1976 when he and Lander joined the cast of Laverne & Shirley portraying Lenny and Squiggy. McKean directed one episode, and the characters became something of a phenomenon, even releasing an album as Lenny and the Squigtones in 1979, which featured a young Christopher Guest on guitar (credited as Nigel Tufnel—the name Guest would use a few years later as part of the spoof rock band Spinal Tap). "Foreign Legion of Love" was a big hit for the Squigtones, with frequent play on the Dr. Demento Show. McKean also played his character in an episode of Happy Days. After leaving Laverne & Shirley in 1982, McKean appeared in the film spoof Young Doctors in Love, then two years later as David St. Hubbins in the comedy This Is Spinal Tap with both Guest and Shearer.

McKean quickly became a recognizable name in film and television, with appearances in films such as Used Cars (1980), Clue (1985), D.A.R.Y.L. (1985), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), and taking a lead role in Short Circuit 2 (1988). He appeared opposite Kiefer Sutherland and Dennis Hopper in Flashback (1990). The same year, McKean was part of an ensemble cast in the television series Grand, which aired for a short time. In 1991, McKean co-wrote (with Christopher Guest) the second episode and later directed the final episode of the mock documentary series Morton & Hayes, created by Phil Mishkin and Rob Reiner. McKean appeared in a number of film roles, including the film adaptation of Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Coneheads (1993), Airheads (1994), and Radioland Murders (1994).

Having already appeared as a musical guest and then host of Saturday Night Live, McKean joined the cast from 1994 to 1995. At age 46, he was the oldest person ever to join the SNL cast at the time (later surpassed by Leslie Jones, who joined in 2014 at age 47), one of a handful of SNL cast members who weren't already hired to work behind the scenes (like SNL's numerous writers-turned-cast members) to appear on the show before becoming a cast member and the only one to be a musical guest and a host before becoming a cast member. During this time, he also released a video follow-up to Spinal Tap, played the villainous Mr. Dittmeyer in The Brady Bunch Movie, and played the boss Gibby in the series Dream On. After leaving Saturday Night Live, McKean spent a lot of time doing children's fare, voicing various TV shows and films. In 1997, he performed the lead voice role in the video game Zork Grand Inquisitor as Dalboz of Gurth and appeared in the 1999 films Teaching Mrs. Tingle and Mystery, Alaska.

McKean's television guest appearances include The Simpsons; Star Trek: Voyager; Boy Meets World; Murder, She Wrote; Murphy Brown; Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman; Friends; and Caroline in the City. In 1998, he guest starred in a two-part episode of The X-Files titled "Dreamland," in which his character Morris Fletcher switched bodies with Fox Mulder. The character was a success, reappearing in 1999's "Three of a Kind," an episode which focused on the recurring characters of The Lone Gunmen. The character appeared on the short-lived spin-off series in 2001, and then returned to The X-Files in its final season for an episode called "Jump the Shark."

McKean reunited with Christopher Guest in Best in Show (2000) and appeared in Little Nicky (2000), The Guru (2002), And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003), and A Mighty Wind (2003), in which The Folksmen are played by the actors who played as Spinal Tap. McKean had a regular role as the brassy, heavily made-up bandleader Adrian Van Voorhees in Martin Short's series Primetime Glick. He also had guest roles on such shows as Law & Order, Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. He did voiceover work as Henry's cousin Louie on Oswald, which coincidentally featured the voice of David Lander as Henry. He lent his voice to an episode of Kevin Smith's Clerks: The Animated Series that never aired but was included on the VHS and DVD versions of the series.

In 2003, he guest-starred on Smallville, the Superman prequel in which his wife Annette O'Toole starred as Martha Kent. McKean played Perry White, who ultimately becomes Clark Kent's boss. He previously associated with the Superman universe in 1994 on the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman first-season episode "Vatman," in which he played Dr. Fabian Leek, a cloning expert who creates a Superman clone that belonged to corporate mogul Lex Luthor (John Shea). Also, during his short stint on Saturday Night Live, McKean played Perry White in a Superman spoof. McKean appeared in the Christopher Guest comedy A Mighty Wind (2003), also co-writing several songs for the film, including the title track (with Guest and Eugene Levy), which won the Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song.

McKean performed in the Broadway production of Hairspray in 2004. He co-starred as Hines in a revival of The Pajama Game with Harry Connick, Jr. at the American Airlines Theatre in the first half of 2006. Also in 2006, McKean reunited with most of the cast of A Mighty Wind to film the comedy For Your Consideration and appeared in the play Love Song on the stage in London. His musical interests led him to a starring role in the 2008 comedy air-drumming film Adventures of Power, in which he was reunited with Jane Lynch, his co-star from For Your Consideration, in a story intended to honor the leaders and fighters of the 99% movement.

McKean acted in the pilot episode of a remake of the British series The Thick of It as the chief of staff. The pilot was directed by Guest. McKean starred in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, co-starring Ian McShane, Raul Esparza, Eve Best, and James Frain. The show opened on in 2007. In 2009, he starred in the Chicago-based Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of Superior Donuts by playwright Tracy Letts.

In 2010, McKean returned in an episode of Smallville alongside his wife and won the Celebrity Jeopardy! tournament by defeating Jane Curtin and Cheech Marin. The earnings were donated to the International Myeloma Foundation in honor of McKean's friend Lee Grayson, who died of myeloma in 2004. In Summer 2010, McKean took over the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's Our Town at the Barrow Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village. In 2011, McKean appeared on an episode of Sesame Street as a rock star looking for "rocks" to be in an all ROCK-band.

In 2012, McKean began performing on Broadway in Gore Vidal's The Best Man. During the show's run, he was hit by a car in New York City, suffering a broken leg. He appeared in the HBO comedy series Family Tree in 2013. In 2014, McKean played J. Edgar Hoover in Broadway previews of Robert Schenkkan's Lyndon B. Johnson bio-play All the Way, starring Emmy winner Bryan Cranston as Lyndon B. Johnson.

In 2015, McKean began appearing as a regular cast member in the first three seasons of Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul in the role of the main character's older brother Chuck McGill – a new character created for the series – also having guest appearances in the show's fourth and sixth seasons. The same year, McKean began hosting the Cooking Channel television series Food: Fact or Fiction? This lighthearted show takes a look at food urban legends and features him both as host and narrator to some segments within each episode.

In 2018, McKean played Doug Forcett in the NBC sitcom The Good Place, a former stoner from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who had a mushroom-induced hallucination in the 1970s and correctly guessed 92% of the afterlife. While Doug Forcett is mentioned multiple times in the show, McKean only portrayed him in one episode. McKean played Sgt. Shadwell in the 2019 television mini-series adaptation of the novel Good Omens.

Personal life
McKean married Susan Russell in 1970, and they had two sons, Colin and Fletcher. In 1999 he married Annette O'Toole, who also had two children from a previous marriage. McKean's son Colin died in 2012.

Recurring characters

 * Anthony, the weatherman from Good Morning, Brooklyn

Celebrity impersonations
• Bill Clinton (after Phil Hartman left at the end of season 19)

• Jimmy Carter

• Robert Evans

• John Tesh

• Robert Shapiro

• Spalding Gray

• Tom Skerritt

• Vincent Price

• Richard Gephardt

• Jeffrey Dahmer

• Howard Stern

• Donald E. Belfi

• Adam West

• Elvis Costello

• George F. Will

• Gary Busey

• Patrick Stewart

title: Michael McKean


text:
David Lander

David L. Lander (born David Leonard Landau, June 22, 1947 – December 4, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout. He was best known for his portrayal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He also served as a goodwill ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Early life
David Leonard Landau was born on June 22, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest son of two Jewish schoolteacher parents, Stella (Goldman) and Saul Landau.

Lander decided to become an actor when he was 10. He studied at the High School for the Performing Arts and continued at Carnegie Tech and New York University. It was in high school he took the stage name of David Lander, which he would later legally adopt, after a classmate "borrowed" his real name to register with an actors' union.

Career
He was best known for his role as Andrew Helmut "Squiggy" Squiggman on the situation comedy Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1982 along with sitcom sidekick Lenny, played by Michael McKean.

Lander's partnership with McKean began during their acting classes at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, where they developed the characters of Lenny and Squiggy. After Pittsburgh, they teamed up in the Los Angeles–based comedy ensemble The Credibility Gap. The duo released an album as Lenny and the Squigtones in 1979 featuring Christopher Guest on guitar, credited as Nigel Tufnel, a name Guest would later reuse in the spoof rock band Spinal Tap. Lander and McKean also appeared together in the 1979 Steven Spielberg comedy 1941, and the 1980 Kurt Russell film Used Cars. They also lent their vocal talents to the children's animated TV series Oswald, which ran from 2001 to 2003. Lander voiced the character of Henry the penguin in the first and only season while McKean appeared as a voice guest role for Henry's cousin, Louie in the 17th episode "Odd One Out/Goodbye, Best Friend".

Lander also appeared in numerous other TV shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, Barney Miller, Happy Days (as Squiggy), Viva Valdez, Married... with Children, Twin Peaks, On the Air, The Weird Al Show, Mad About You, Pacific Blue, and The Drew Carey Show. His other film roles included the part of a minor league baseball radio announcer in the film A League of Their Own (directed by his Laverne & Shirley co-star Penny Marshall) and a bit part of the minister officiating the marriage ceremony in Say It Isn't So. He also played "Tanning Intruder" in Christmas with the Kranks. Lander created the starring role of the demented fast-food franchise clown Bruce Burger in the cult film Funland, directed by Michael A. Simpson.

Lander's voice acting roles included the "dramatic reproduction" of Elvis Presley quotations for the Pop Chronicles music documentary and the voice of Jerry Lewis in the Filmation series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down in 1970. He voiced "Doc Boy" Arbuckle, the farm-boy brother of Jon Arbuckle, in most animated adaptations of the Garfield franchise. Later voice roles included The Big Bang, A Bug's Life, Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, Oswald, Titan A.E., Tom and Jerry: The Movie and the animated TV series Galaxy High as the six-armed Milo de Venus. In 2002, he reprised his role as Squiggy in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. Lander was the voice of Smart Ass, the chief weasel of Judge Doom's Toon Patrol in the 1988 Disney film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Lander reprised his role as Smart Ass on the related ride, but the character was renamed Wiseguy. He was credited as Stephen Lander in Boo, Zino & the Snurks. One of his later roles was that of Ch'p in the DC Comics animated film Green Lantern: First Flight. His final credit was an episode of Goldie & Bear in 2017.

He played the psychiatrist in the video for "Why's Everybody Always Pickin' on Me?" by The Bloodhound Gang.

Sports
Lander, a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, had a small stake in the Portland Beavers. In 1997, he began work as a baseball talent scout, first for the Anaheim Angels, and later for the Seattle Mariners. He was a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, the baseball sabermetrics organization, for many years.

Personal life
Lander was married to Thea Markus from 1969 until the couple divorced in 1976. He married Kathy Fields in 1979. His daughter is actress Natalie Lander.

Health and death
Lander was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1984. He went public in 1999 and regularly spoke at related conventions. In 2002, his autobiography was published, titled Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody (ISBN 1-58542-052-2), written with Lee Montgomery.

Lander died of complications from multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on December 4, 2020. He was 73.

title: David Lander