New Jersey Route 172

Route 172
George Street
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length:	0.81 mi[1] (1.30 km)
Existed:	1955 – present
Major junctions
West end:	Commercial Avenue in New Brunswick (continues as CR 527)
East end:	Route 18 / CR 527 in New Brunswick
Location
Counties:	Middlesex
Highway system
New Jersey State Highway Routes Interstate US State Scenic Byways ← Route 171 Route 173 →

Route 172 is a short state highway in New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. The designation runs along the southernmost leg of George Street, which is county and city-maintained the rest of the way. Route 172 is 0.81 miles (1.30 km) long, serving as a connector from an interchange with Route 18 to an intersection with County Route 527. The highway was assigned in the 1950s, when nearby Route 18 was realigned onto a new freeway over Burnet Street in New Brunswick. Route 172 underwent a major upgrade during the reconstruction of Route 18, including a roundabout at an intersection with CR 617, and a brand-new interchange with the local lanes of Route 18.

Route description

Route 172 heading eastbound along George Street through Douglass Campus of Rutgers University

Route 172 begins at an interchange with the local lanes of Route 18 in the city of New Brunswick. The highway heads northward and passes through the Douglass Campus of Rutgers University. Route 172 then intersects with a local road, which serves the purposes of the university. The highway then progresses towards County Route 617 (CR 617; Ryders Lane), which heads southward from a roundabout with Route 172. Route 172 then turns to the west along George Street. After the roundabout, the highway intersects with Nichol Avenue and Route 172 continues into downtown New Brunswick. There, the highway intersects with Bishop Street, and terminates at an intersection with Commercial Avenue and CR 527 continues along George Street, the right-of-way.^[1]

History

The interchange of Route 18 and Route 172 in New Brunswick

Construction in 2008 of the interchange between Routes 18 and 172 in New Brunswick

The completed interchange facing Route 172's new eastern terminus at Route 18's local lanes.

Route 172 originated as alignment of State Highway Route S-28, which was assigned in the 1927 state highway renumbering.^[2] In the 1953 renumbering, State Highway Route S-28 was reassigned as Route 18.^[3] However, just a few years after the designation of NJ 18 in New Brunswick along George Street, construction of a bypass around New Brunswick began. The highway was constructed along Burnet Street, which became state-maintained by the State Highway Department. The route was completed to Route 27, and Route 18 was moved onto that alignment. The former alignment of Route 18 remained state-maintained up to the intersection with Commercial Avenue, which was eventually re-designated as Route 172.^[4]

When the New Jersey Department of Transportation started construction on upgrading the bypass, the fly-over ramp and on-ramp to and from Route 172 were torn down for construction of a new interchange along a new local/express format. The overpass was closed on October 12, 2007 to begin the construction.^[5] The bridge was built by 1955^[4] and was replaced in 2008.^[6] On January 2, 2009, the new exit ramp for Route 18 to Route 172 was reopened to traffic.^[7]

Major intersections

The entire route is in New Brunswick, Middlesex County.

mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00	CR 527 north (George Street) / Commercial Avenue
0.81	1.30	Route 18 / CR 527 south (Memorial Parkway)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• U.S. Roads portal
• New Jersey portal
• New Jersey Route 171

References

External links

Route map: Google

• Media related to New Jersey Route 172 at Wikimedia Commons
• New Jersey Highway Ends: Route 172
• Speed Limits for State Roads: Route 172