U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a U.S. Route which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida, in the south to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey. It enters the state from Pennsylvania on the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge over the Delaware River in the state capital of Trenton, running through the city on the Trenton Freeway. From here, US 1 continues northeast as a surface divided highway through suburban areas, heading into Middlesex County and passing through New Brunswick and Edison. US 1 merges with US 9 in Woodbridge, and the two routes continue through northern New Jersey as US 1/9 to the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River in Fort Lee. At this point, the road continues into New York City along with Interstate 95.

The current alignment of US 1 between Trenton and New Brunswick was chartered as the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike in 1803 and struggled throughout its 100-year existence. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway across the U.S. was created and connected Trenton to Newark within New Jersey. The Lincoln Highway was legislated as Route 13 between Trenton and New Brunswick in 1917 and as part of Route 1 between New Brunswick and Elizabeth, later extended to Jersey City. With the creation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926, US 1 was designated to follow the Lincoln Highway between Trenton and Newark and the current alignment of US 1/9 Truck to Jersey City, where it continued to the Holland Tunnel. In 1927, the Lincoln Highway portion of US 1 became Route 27. The current alignment of US 1 between Trenton and Newark was legislated as Route 26, Route S26, and Route 25, while the current route north from Jersey City to the George Washington Bridge became Route 1 and Route 6. In subsequent years, US 1 was moved onto its current routing between Trenton and the George Washington Bridge. The state highways running concurrent with US 1 were removed in 1953, around the same time the route was moved to the Trenton Freeway within Trenton and the old alignment became US 1 Alternate (US 1 Alt.), part of which is now US 1 Business (US 1 Bus.). By 1969, the Trenton Freeway was extended north to Whitehead Road in Lawrence Township, and that segment became Route 174. When the Trenton Freeway was completed north to US 1, the US 1 designation was shifted to the freeway, replacing Route 174.

Route description

Mercer County

US 1 crosses the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey on the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge, which is maintained by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Once in Trenton, US 1 becomes the Trenton Freeway and is maintained by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). US 1 meets Route 29 at a partial diamond interchange just north of the river. As the road heads through the downtown area with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line running next to the route on the east side, it has a southbound exit and entrance with Warren Street that provides access to the New Jersey State House. It then comes to an interchange with the northern terminus of Route 129 as well as the western terminus of Route 33 near the Trenton Transit Center serving Amtrak, NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor and River lines, and SEPTA's Trenton Line.

At this point, the Trenton Freeway turns onto a depressed alignment, with Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO)'s Port Running Track railroad line closely parallel to the east, and comes to an interchange with Perry Street. The route turns northeast directly over the Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal), which still flows underneath, and has an exit for Olden Avenue. The freeway has a northbound ramp for Mulberry Street before the parallel railroad tracks curve east away from the road and there is a northbound exit and southbound entrance from the median that provides access to US 1 Bus. and US 206. Past this interchange, US 1 continues into Lawrence Township, where the surroundings become more wooded as the freeway has an exit for Whitehead Road. Along this stretch, the freeway closely parallels the canal, which emerges from under the freeway just north of Mulberry Street. The Trenton Freeway ends at the point US 1 Bus. merges back into US 1 at a southbound exit and northbound entrance.

Here, US 1 becomes a four-lane arterial road with jughandles called the Herbert Highway (named after John Warne Herbert Jr., the former chairman of the State Highway Commission) that is lined with suburban businesses. Continuing northeast, the first intersection along this road is with the eastern terminus of County Route 546 (CR 546; Franklin Corner Road). After this intersection, the road crosses the D&R Canal again prior to a modified cloverleaf interchange with I-295. Past this point, US 1 widens to six lanes as it has an interchange providing access to Quaker Bridge Mall to the southeast of the route. A short distance later, the road enters West Windsor and reaches a cloverleaf interchange with CR 533 (Quakerbridge Road). After an interchange with Meadow Road, US 1 passes southeast of the MarketFair shopping mall and continues past corporate parks prior to an interchange with Alexander Road. Following this interchange, the road passes under NJ Transit's Princeton Branch railroad line and comes to CR 571 (also signed as CR 526) at the modified Penns Neck Circle, which US 1 runs straight through. Past this intersection, the road passes near farmland.

Studies are being conducted to implement the Central New Jersey Route 1 BRT, a bus rapid transit system utilizing the highway that would radiate from Princeton Junction station.

Middlesex County Upon crossing the Millstone River, US 1 enters Plainsboro Township, where it passes more business parks and comes to an interchange with Scudders Mill Road. Past Scudders Mill Road, the road runs to the west of the James Forrestal Campus of Princeton University before passing to the east of the Forrestal Village retail and office complex. An interchange with College Road a short distance later provides access to both places. The route continues into South Brunswick, where it narrows to four lanes and runs through a mix of rural areas and development. US 1 briefly widens back to six lanes as it reaches an intersection with CR 522. Past CR 522, the surroundings of the four-lane road become more forested, with a few commercial establishments. The road briefly forms the border between South Brunswick to the northwest and North Brunswick to the southeast before fully entering North Brunswick.

Here, the route widens to six lanes again and comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of Route 91 (Jersey Avenue), where US 1 makes a turn to the east-northeast. Immediately after this interchange, the route passes over Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and comes to an exit for the south end of Route 26 (Livingston Avenue). The road reaches the northern terminus of US 130 and the southern terminus of Route 171 (Georges Road) at an interchange. A short distance later, US 1 has access to Milltown Road through an interchange. The road passes by Rutgers University college farm before turning northeast and coming to a cloverleaf interchange with Ryders Lane. After this interchange, US 1 crosses into New Brunswick, where it has an interchange with Route 18/CR 527.

Upon crossing the Raritan River on the Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges, US 1 enters Edison and continues north into developed suburban areas before turning northeast and meeting CR 514 (Woodbridge Avenue) at an interchange. A short distance later, the route crosses CR 529 (Plainfield Avenue) at an at-grade intersection. Lined with businesses, the road continues across CSAO's Bonhamtown Industrial Track railroad line and comes to two close interchanges with CR 531 (Main Street) and I-287. Past here, US 1 passes under the Middlesex Greenway and comes to an interchange with CR 501 (Amboy Avenue). In this area, US 1 passes to the east of Menlo Park Mall, with an interchange at Menlo Park Drive providing access. The route continues northeast into Woodbridge Township, where it comes to a partial interchange with the Garden State Parkway. Following this interchange, US 1 comes to the Woodbridge Center shopping mall on the east side of the road. US 1 passes over CSAO's Port Reading Secondary railroad line and crosses Green Street (CR 604) prior to merging with US 9 at a southbound exit and northbound entrance.

US 1/9 concurrency

US 1 and US 9 become concurrent upon merging in Woodbridge Township and continue through developed areas, interchanging with Route 35. Upon entering Union County, US 1/9 pass through Rahway and Linden, interchanging with I-278 in Linden. The road continues into urban Elizabeth, crossing Route 439 before turning into a freeway prior to meeting Route 81 near Newark Liberty International Airport. US 1/9 continues along the west end of the airport into Newark, Essex County, reaching the Newark Airport Interchange with I-78, US 22, and Route 21.

From this interchange, the road continues northeast through industrial areas to an interchange with US 1/9 Truck that provides access to the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95). US 1/9 continue onto the Pulaski Skyway, which carries the route over the Passaic River into Hudson County, crossing over Kearny and the Hackensack River before coming into Jersey City. Trucks are banned from the Pulaski Skyway and must use US 1/9 Truck to bypass it.

The Pulaski Skyway ends at the Tonnele Circle with US 1/9 Truck and Route 139, and US 1/9 continues north along at-grade Tonnelle Avenue toward North Bergen, where the road intersects Route 3 and Route 495. Crossing into Bergen County, Broad Avenue carries US 1/9 through Fairview and Ridgefield before heading into Palisades Park. Here, the two routes join US 46, and the combined road heads north into Fort Lee. US 1/9/US 46 come to an interchange with I-95, US 9W, and Route 4, where it joins I-95 to head east to the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River. At this point, US 46 ends and I-95 and US 1/9 continue into Manhattan, New York City on the Trans-Manhattan Expressway.

History

What is now US 1 between Trenton and New Brunswick was originally chartered as the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike in 1803. Throughout its history, the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike faced stiff competition from canals such as the D&R Canal and railroads such as the Camden and Amboy Railroad. In the later part of the 19th century, the turnpike company folded and the Pennsylvania Railroad took over ownership of the turnpike. When the charter for the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike expired in 1903, it became a public road. When the first numbered highways were legislated in New Jersey in 1916, the present day US 1 between New Brunswick and Elizabeth was to become a part of Route 1, a route that was to connect Trenton and Elizabeth. Between Trenton and New Brunswick, this route was to follow present-day Route 33 and US 130. In 1922, an extension of Route 1 was legislated to continue north from Elizabeth to the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1922, Chapter 253.

When the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926, the routing of US 1 in New Jersey was to follow the Lincoln Highway from the Lower Trenton Bridge in Trenton to Newark, which was Route 13 between Trenton and New Brunswick and Route 1 north of there. From Newark, the route followed present-day US 1/9 Truck east toward Jersey City, where it was to head to the Holland Tunnel. The Lincoln Highway the first transcontinental highway in the U.S. created in 1913 to link New York City to San Francisco. Route 13 had been legislated along the Trenton to New Brunswick portion in 1917.