New Jersey Route 74
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| Route 74 |
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| Industrial Freeway | |||||||||
| Existed: | Never built – Early 1980s | ||||||||
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| West end: |  NJ 18 in East Brunswick |
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| Major junctions: |
 US 9 in Old Bridge Twp |
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| East end: |  NJ 35 in Laurence Harbor |
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Route 74 was a proposed limited access state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It would have run from an interchange with Route 18 in East Brunswick to an interchange with Route 35 in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Township. The freeway would have provided a much needed east-west connection between U.S. Route 9 and Route 18. Tentatively named the "Industrial Freeway", Route 74 was to be a 10.6 mile (17.1 km) long four-lane freeway, with eight exits. Also included in the proposal was a U.S. Route 9 connector to Route 35. Despite the plans for the freeway being shelved, the New Jersey Department of Transportation hasn't officially taken it off their "Route Log". With the growing population in central New Jersey, the state may indeed resurrect this proposal in the future. Route 74, along with New Jersey Route 60, are the only remaining unbuilt freeways left on the official NJDOT "Route Log".[1]
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[edit] Route description
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New Jersey Route 74 was to start in the town of East Brunswick on New Jersey Route 18.[2] It was to be a freeway across Middlesex County, consisting of eight exits in four different municipalities. The second exit, which was in South River was supposed to be for County Route 535.[2] Going to the southwest, Route 74 was to enter Sayreville and interchange with Middlesex County Route 675, also known as Jernees Mill Road. The fourth exit on 74, again in Sayreville, was for a local road known as Minisink Avenue.[2]
Entering the town of Old Bridge, Route 74 was to interchange with Middlesex County Route 615, the Bordentown Turnpike.[2] After Route 615, the 6th interchange on Route 74 is for U.S. Route 9 and New Jersey Route 34. The road then was to interchange with a new Route 35 freeway extension. Route 74 continued into Laurence Harbor where it was to have Exit 7 and its terminus at Route 35.[2]
[edit] History
The Route 74 proposal was issued in 1956 by Middlesex and Monmouth Counties.[2] The proposal was sent to the state in 1961 and passed by the New Jersey Legislature the following year. According to studies by Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1966 and 1967, the limited-access freeway was to be an east-west expressway south of the Raritan River. A total of 19 homes and businesses were needed to be acquired for building the freeway. When construction and right one-way costs were totaled, Route 74 was going to cost $64.7 million (1967 USD).[2] With the loss of the 1972 statewide transportation bond issue, the prospects for construction of Route 74 were bleak. However in 1975, the now-defunct Tri-State Regional Planning Commission gave Route 74 one more chance. The Commission said Route 74 would be done by the year 2000. However, during the 1980s, the Commission dropped 74 from its list of proposals. Even though the Commission removed it, the New Jersey State Legislature has yet to do such.[1]
[edit] Proposed exit list
| County | Location | Mile[2] | #[2] | Destinations | Notes |
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| Middlesex | East Brunswick | 0.00 | 1 | Route 18 |
Western terminus of  |
| South River | 2 |  County Route 535, Main Street |
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| Sayreville | 3 |  County Route 675, Jernee Mill Road |
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| 4 | Minisink Avenue | ||||
| Old Bridge | 5 |  County Route 615, Bordentown-South Amboy Turnpike |
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| 6 |  U.S. Route 9/Route 34 |
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| Laurence Harbor | 7 |  County Route 689, Morristown Road |
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| 10.6 | 8 | Route 35 |
Eastern terminus of |
