Dangerous intersection finally modified By Jennifer Kohlhepp After decades of planning and almost two years of construction, the new Routes 1 and 130 interchange in North Brunswick opened on July 2. The new Routes 1 and 130 interchange officially opened on July 2. With wider shoulders and wider lanes, the newly renovated Route 1 makes travel from Trenton to New Brunswick much easier for motorists. The purpose of the $55 million project was to improve local and regional safety and to enable traffic to flow freely on Routes 1 and 130. Route 1 was initially built when site development along the corridor was minimal. In the years since, increased development has attracted higher traffic volumes, and has led to significant increases in traffic congestion and accidents, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The DOT estimates that more than 130,000 motorists use the intersection each day. The old intersection had been listed as one of the most dangerous in the state, according to the DOT. Middlesex County officials and the municipalities of North Brunswick and Milltown worked together to design the new structure to optimize safety and efficiency. Residents also helped to guide the project along by participating in Information Centers held by DOT during the project's planning stages and by attending public meetings held in Nov. 2001 after the contractor was hired. DOT staff worked with contractor George Harms Construction Company Inc. of Farmingdale to complete the project. DOT resident engineer Tony Bene oversaw all of the day-to-day activities. The team of workers removed the previously modified traffic circle, an at-grade intersection with one traffic signal, and replaced it with a fly-over, a grade-separated interchange that directly connects Route 1 southbound to Route 130 southbound and Route 130 northbound to Route 1 northbound. The new interchange spans one mile on Route 1, 1.3 miles on Route 130 and a quarter of a mile on Georges Road (Route 171) and includes four bridges, a noise wall, retaining walls, relocated utilities, and improved drainage and lighting. Route 1 was widened to six travel lanes through the interchange. Full-width shoulders and auxiliary lanes were also constructed. This project is also bicycle/pedestrian compatible, according to officials. Traffic movement between the roads was also redesigned and a service road along Route 1 north was added to provide safer access to adjacent business, community and residential locations. This is the first modified single-point intersection in New Jersey, according to the DOT. A single point intersection combines two separate diamond ramp intersections into one large one. Signalization of one major intersection simplifies traffic coordination on the main road, and increases traffic-carrying capacity compared with a simple diamond interchange, according to the DOT. The principal operational feature is that the new intersection, through which all four left turns operate outside of each other, requires only one traffic signal. The older intersection had opposing left turns operating inside one another.