Improvements to Route 522 Section 5B - South Brunswick

NJ Society of Municipal Engineers
Project of the Year Award

Project History:

A Master Plan is a document that sets forth the infrastructure requirements necessary to accommodate the ultimate build-out of a municipality. These infrastructure requirements include water, wastewater, storm water, parks, and roadways.

In South Brunswick, a roadway known as County Route 522 has been contained in the Master Plan for decades and is targeted to be the primary east/west collector road for the municipality. This roadway when completed would connect together Route 27, Route 1, Georges Road, Route 130, and Cranbury Road. By utilizing NJDOT funds, portions of Route 522 were constructed in the 1990's but not quickly enough to keep up with the pace of development in South Brunswick.

The manner in which Route 1 northbound traffic would access Route 522 westbound had been a challenge ever since the project was proposed in the Master Plan. Initial plans for this project, which is known as Route 522 – Section 5B, called for the construction of a reverse loop jughandle. This concept however would have required the costly condemnation of an existing Exxon gas station.

Client Requirements:

• PROVIDE FOR THE COMPLETION OF A LONG-AWAITED MASTER PLAN ROADWAY.
• DEVELOP ALTERNATE DESIGN OPTIONS TO REDUCE PROPERTY ACQUISITION COSTS.
• SEEK AND OBTAIN OUTSIDE FUNDING SOURCES TO MINIMIZE FISCAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
• PROVIDE FOR A SAFE MEANS OF ACCESS BETWEEN ROUTE 1 NORTH AND ROUTE 522 WEST.
• MINIMIZE DISTURBANCE TO WOODED AREAS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSTRAINED AREAS ADJACENT TO PROJECT.

• OBTAIN ALL REQUIRED OUTSIDE AGENCY APPROVALS NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT PROJECT.

Unique or Unusual Design Features:

• PROVIDE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LONG AWAITED MASTER PLAN ROADWAY WITHOUT THE NEED TO DEMOLISH AN EXISTING GAS STATION.
• UTILIZE VACANT PROPERTY FOR ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION AND IN TURN IMPROVE THE FUTURE TAX BENEFITS TO THE MUNICIPALITY.
• DEVELOP PLANS FOR AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY STORM WATER CULVERT TO ADDRESS NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CONCERNS.

• COORDINATION OF APPROVALS WITH NUMEROUS STATE, COUNTY AND LOCAL AGENCIES.
• DEVELOP A FAST TRACKED PLAN FOR THE REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OF CONTAMINATED SOIL ENCOUNTERED DURING CONSTRUCTION

The Result:

At the present time the project has been completed and opened to the public. Route 1 North travelers now have a quick and easy means of access to Route 522 West.

As a result of the efforts of Township Engineer David J. Samuel, P.E., P.P., & C.M.E., the construction of a long awaited Master Plan roadway has been completed at minimal cost to the municipality.