Following the release of a draft environmental impact statement, NJ DOT recently held a public hearing on nineteen alternatives under consideration for the long-stalled and highly controversial Millstone Bypass project in central New Jersey.

The project was originally conceived to speed traffic along Route 1 in Mercer County, in a sprawling area between Trenton and Princeton. The DEIS extends this purpose to include addressing "traffic congestion, mobility constraints, and safety concerns on U.S. 1 and the east-west cross streets in the Penns Neck area of West Windsor Township."

Alternatives that would create a new east-west highway between Route 1 and CR 571 in Princeton are favored by would-be developers like Princeton University and the Sarnoff Corp. The main question the project raises is whether state government should be paying for a driveway to more sprawling, car-dependent development.

The goal of the renamed "Penns Neck Area Project" is to mitigate worsening congestion. All the alternatives would remove traffic lights that cause delay at Route 1 crossings. In addition, the alternatives each combine a menu of further improvements, which include: putting Route 1 in a cut and creating diamond or loop-style interchanges; building frontage roads along the highway; and construction of a connector road west of Rt. 1 between a new grade-separated interchange and Harrison Street, Washington Road, or both.

Many alternatives include a new road east of Route 1 connecting CR 571 in Princeton Junction to Route 1 near Harrison Street. The road – which was formerly referred to as the "Millstone Bypass" because its alignment runs along the Millstone River – is meant to bypass local east-west streets. Of the 19 alternatives, 13 include this "east-side connector" road, with a few alignment variations.

However, the connector does not substantially improve traffic performance, according to data in the environmental impact statement. The original purpose of the project – to speed up traffic on Route 1 – is unaffected by this addition.

Option "D2" – which includes putting Route 1 in a cut and replacing traffic lights on the highway with interchanges and frontage roads but omits the new connector road – compares favorably to options that include the road. It would significantly reduce delay at the Washington Rd. and Harrison St. crossings of Route 1. "D2" would also substantially reduce total east-west travel time on several local routes. In all cases, "D2" would come within one minute of the fastest option during the AM peak hour in the 2028 "design year."

At the recent hearing, "D2" won favor from a number of those present – including Grace Sinden of the Princeton Environmental Commission. Sinden argued that building a new highway could only lead to increased driving and congestion over time. She also pointed out that the east-side connector could pollute drinking water provided by the Millstone River.

While the $8 million new road will likely spur sprawl and traffic growth, it would provide access to developments under consideration by Princeton University and the Sarnoff Corporation, a biomedical and information company. Both institutions own property the new road would open up, and are vocal backers of highway construction.

West Windsor is aggressively seeking to attract commercial growth — indeed, far more than most neighboring municipalities. Almost all of this growth is likely to be car-dependent. The town can follow this route if that’s what its voters want, but New Jersey Department of Transportation, under Governor McGreevey’s order that the state should stop subsidizing inappropriate development , should refuse to pay to accommodate the town’s sprawl strategy. 

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