Metlars Lane is CR 609, and before the NJ 18 freeway took it over, the rest of Metlars had also been 609. To preserve the continuity between Landing and Metlars Lanes, CR 609 now duplexes with NJ 18 - in fact, pretty much all of this page consists of that very duplex.


These 2003 photos from Doug Kerr show the ongoing work along Metlars Lane just north of River Road, skirting the Rutgers campus there and ultimately to become the extension of the northern 18 freeway. A year later, the roads have switched - 18 is now open to traffic, and there are just fragments of Metlars left here.


New sign on River Rd. NB for NJ 18 NB, courtesy Scott Colbert.


In June 2004, the NB overpass of River Road (which itself was once NJ 18 up to I-287 from NJ 27) was not complete, meaning traffic had to go down the offramp and jog right (turn right and then left for you plebeians) to stay on the highway. In fact, the onramp to 18 was not complete either, so there was a temporary left merge. The third photo is at overpass level, taken from the one northbound lane on the future southbound overpass.


The SB overpass as of June 2004, down to one lane in each direction.


As of late August 2004, the NB overpass was open at one lane. The covered sign is for River Road, which is the ramp in the last picture. The current River Rd. ramp (alliteration!) could very well serve as the NB-EB movement when all is said and done, but for some reason it won't. Advance signage is not yet up, covered or otherwise, on the other side of the Raritan River.


Brand-new River Road signage - the first permanent BGS's erected on the new NJ 18.

New SB and NB shields - why aren't the directions on top like they ought to be?


More contractor fun - what's the limit today? That's an I-287 shield in the background. Via Hoes Lane, NJ 18 finally has a four-lane connection to I-287, freeing up local traffic on River Road.


Metlars Ln, Rutgers RAC, Livingston Campus. Or, Avenue E. This is the only access you get to the original Metlars now.


Looking southward on Metlars Lane in June 2004, where NJ 18 begins on an easterly alignment and the old Lane is demolished straight ahead.


The path of NJ 18 to the north of Metlars Lane, where it curves to meet the current Hoes Lane alignment.


New NB signs, actually starting on the New Brunswick side of the river, and useless if you're color-blind. There are indeed seven different colored lots, and good luck telling the difference between red and dark red. How about orange?


SB, even more P-ing.


Looking southward from Hoes Lane along the future NJ 18 alignment in June 2004. The overpass will carry Hoes Lane East traffic to and from NJ 18 SB. North of here, NJ 18 merges with the current Hoes Lane East alignment. I'm not sure whether there are intended to be any traffic lights between here and I-287, or if this will become full freeway, but it's a few years away from completion yet.


Same viewpoint, August 2004. It is becoming apparent that Hoes Lane will merge into NJ 18 NB, with the current piece of Metlars Lane to be used as the NB offramp. The overpass will carry Hoes traffic (or just hoes) to and from SB 18.


Courtesy Scott Colbert, NJ 18 was opened during the fall of 2004 underneath the Hoes Lane overpass, and now ends in the first photo's foreground.


An NB Scott photo - could FREEWAY ENDS be any smaller? Could it be broken into two lines? You can see where the Hoes Lane median was filled in, and the cross-street barricaded.


SB on the new NJ 18 on March 20, 2005, starting at the transition from Hoes Lane East EB.


E St. WB (which turns into Davidson Rd.) at the northernmost exit of NJ 18, all courtesy Lou Corsaro. Hoes Lane begins straight ahead, and NJ 18 North ends straightaway, but the signs are here in anticipation of further extension as far as I-287. Pre-construction, this would have been Hoes Lane WB (which started just behind here at Metlars Lane and E St.), with nothing bearing to the left. Davidson Rd. stayed a block to the south, and there was a short connector a block west of here.


Brand-new END sign from Scott Colbert, and the only END sign to include a direction that I've ever seen. If you'll notice, the NORTH is finally on top of the 18 shield, and according to Lou Corsaro, all of the other shields have been similarly fixed on the new highway.

South to NJ 18 SB
South to NJ 18 NB
South to New Brunswick construction
Continue north on Hoes Lane (future 18)
Along NJ 18 (non-directional)
Back to NJ 18 main page
Back to Middlesex CR 609 main page

To I-287
To the N.J. Turnpike (I-95)
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