MTR 255, Bypass No Remedy to Windsor Traffic Woes

Issue 255

February 4, 2000

Bypass No Remedy to Windsor Traffic Woes

A January Trenton Times article reported that north-south traffic and truck traffic from all directions remain heavy on Route 33 in East Windsor Township, despite the touted November opening of a 4-lane bypass that cuts through the remaining semi-rural open space north of Hightstown (eastern Mercer County, near the NJ Turnpike). The bypass does seem to have reduced east-west traffic, especially at rush hour, according to Hightstown Mayor Amy Aughenbaugh. Throughout a five-year fight against the road by area residents, bypass supporters argued that the new 4-mile highway would take heavy traffic off of Route 33, which runs through the heart of Hightstown.

NJ DOT documents on the project predicted the bypass' lackluster showing. DOT's EIS anticipated that the bypass would attract roughly 55,000 cars and trucks per day, just 22% of Hightstown traffic in 1994, and surely a significantly lower percentage today.

The EIS also offered estimates that the Bypass would lure over 2 million square feet of commercial and industrial real estate development to the farmland along its course. These new office parks, malls, and storage facilities will bring new traffic to the region, probably boosting both bypass and downtown traffic alike. Town leaders hoped the project would spur the revitalization of downtown Hightstown, but it may end up transforming it into the traffic-laden crossroads of a spreading area of sprawling development.