NJ DOT Plans Two Roundabouts at Route 9 Crash Hotspot in Sayreville
The New Jersey Department of Transportation will construct two roundabouts where Route 9, Bordentown Avenue, Burlew Place, and Eugene Boulevard meet in Sayreville.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation will construct two roundabouts where Route 9, Bordentown Avenue, Burlew Place, and Eugene Boulevard meet in Sayreville. More than 230 crashes occurred there from 2014 through 2016.
Crashes happen here at twice the state average. Route 9 carries about 120,000 vehicles each day. Bordentown Avenue handles roughly 11,000.
NJDOT says the current design creates problems. Multiple intersections lack signals. Traffic patterns conflict. Drivers can't see well. Heavy traffic on Bordentown Avenue makes things worse, and the absence of traffic signals compounds the danger at these intersections.
"It's the most difficult intersection I've ever been to," said East Brunswick resident Ed Vakhler, according to News 12.
One roundabout will handle Route 9 southbound traffic, while the other manages Route 9 northbound traffic. The design merges all four roads into these two circular junctions.
"Most of the accidents happen because somebody's getting ready to go and then they shortstop and then there's an accident," said Parlin resident Marlin B, according to News 12. "It's 100% confusing. You don't know if you're going to the right or to the left."
Plans call for widening northbound Route 9. This creates a deceleration lane to Bordentown Avenue and an acceleration lane from Bordentown Avenue to southbound Route 9. A new ramp will connect southbound Route 9 straight to the roundabout serving Bordentown Avenue. Workers will also build an eight-foot shoulder along northbound Route 9 stretching from Bordentown Avenue to the Garden State Parkway.
"Our secondary roads, which are generally county roads, are seeing an increased volume because we're a very popular place to live and a lot of people are moving in," said Sayreville Business Administrator Glenn Skarzynski.
Construction starts in spring 2030. Work wraps up by fall 2032.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation will host a virtual public information center on the project from April 22 through May 6.
