Motorists traveling Route 202 in Branchburg will be getting traffic relief
BRANCHBURG – A third lane on Route 202 will be added in both directions at the Old York Road intersection either by the state Department of Transportation or the developer of a proposed QuickChek and Aldi there.
Joseph Fishinger, traffic engineer for Branchburg 202 LLC, told the township Planning Board on Tuesday, that the third lane will help the flow of traffic through the intersection which causes extensive backups on both Route 202 and Old York Road.
The third lane will help mitigate the traffic from the project, he said
"It's not an amazing improvement, but it is an improvement," Fishinger said.
Fishinger said the developer will build the third lane even if the DOT does not proceed with plans to improve the intersection.
"We recognize we have to do something to accommodate traffic," he said, adding "one way or another you will have a third lane."
According to the DOT, there were 207 crashes at the intersection from 2018 to 2020, with more than half being rear-end accidents. The intersection's crash rate, the DOT said, is higher than the statewide average for a similar roadway.
More: 'Traffic is going to be a lot worse': Route 202 in Somerset, Hunterdon to be studied
The DOT has two plans for the intersection, one a short-term "maintenance" plan and a long-term plan.
The short-term plan, which could begin in the spring, calls for improvements to the highway within 500 feet of the intersection.
That plan would widen the highway within the existing right-of-way by cutting into the grass median, eliminating the U-turns and lengthening the left-turn lanes.
The DOT's long-term plan, which may not start construction until summer 2028, calls for a third lane on Route 202 in both directions and dual left-turn lanes in each direction. The plan also calls for a shared use path, wide enough for pedestrians and bicyclists, on the northbound side.
The DOT plan also calls for Old York Road to be widened to four lanes at the intersection. In both directions Old York Road will have one left-turn only lane, one left-turn through lane, one through lane and a right-turn only lane
The traffic signal at the intersection will also be upgraded.
Those improvements to the highway and intersection will also affect plans for the QuickChek and Aldi because the roads will extend about 20 feet into the property.
Fishinger said the traffic study for the project also included the impact of a fast-food restaurant and a medical office building, but there are no current plans to construct those buildings because no tenants have been found.
Revised site plans for the building will be presented at the Planning Board's next public hearing on the project tentatively scheduled for Feb. 13.
The DOT has already approved plans for a traffic signal at Route 202 and Holland Brook Road that will be funded by the developer of a 475-home project at the intersection.
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Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Route 202 in Branchburg NJ will have third lane added