Route 34 is a state highway in the central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The route runs 26.79 mi (43.11 km) from an intersection with Route 35 and Route 70 (the former Brielle Circle) in Wall Township, Monmouth County, north to an intersection with U.S. Route 9 (US 9) in Old Bridge Township, Middlesex County. The route is a four-lane divided highway between its southern terminus and the north end of the Route 33 concurrency in Howell Township; along this stretch, the route intersects the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 195 (I-195)/Route 138 within a short distance of each other. North of Route 33, Route 34 is an undivided two- to four-lane road that intersects Route 18 in Colts Neck Township and Route 79 in Matawan. Route 34 passes through mostly suburban areas along its route.

Route 34 marker

Route 34

Map
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length26.79 mi[1] (43.11 km)
Existed1927–present
Major junctions
South end Route 35 / Route 70 in Wall Township
Major intersections
North end US 9 in Old Bridge
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountiesMonmouth, Middlesex
Highway system
Route 33A Route 35

The route was legislated in 1927 to run from Route 35 (present Route 88) in Laurelton north to Route 4 (present Route 79) in Matawan. The current alignment of Route 34 north of Matawan was a part of Route 4 (and later US 9) until it became a part of Route 4A following a realignment of US 9 and Route 4. In 1953, Route 34 was extended north along Route 4A to end at US 9 in Old Bridge Township. Meanwhile, the southern terminus was cut back to its current location with the route south of that point becoming a part of Route 70. Since 1953, the southern portion of the route was widened into a divided highway and the Brielle Circle was replaced.

Route description edit

 
Route 34 northbound just north of Route 35 and Route 70.

Route 34 begins at an intersection with Route 35 and Route 70 in Wall Township, Monmouth County, at the former Brielle Circle, heading to the northwest on a six-lane undivided road.[1] A short distance past this intersection, the route becomes a four-lane divided highway that passes through suburban development with some woods. It passes over the Capital to Coast Trail and interchanges with County Route 524 Spur (CR 524 Spur) before reaching the Allenwood Circle, where Route 34 intersects CR 524.[1][2] Past the Allenwood Circle, the road continues northwest to a partial interchange with the Garden State Parkway. This interchange has access to the northbound Garden State Parkway from northbound Route 34, to the southbound Garden State Parkway from southbound Route 34, and to both directions of Route 34 from the southbound Garden State Parkway.[2] Immediately past this interchange, the road intersects CR 30 before coming to a cloverleaf interchange with I-195 and Route 138.[1] Route 34 provides the missing movements between the southbound Garden State Parkway and I-195/Route 138. From here, the road passes through woodland before heading into commercial and industrial areas, where it passes by the Wall Stadium racetrack and the Monmouth Executive Airport.[2] The route enters wooded residential and business areas where it intersects Belmar Boulevard and Megill Road, which are both distinct segments of CR 18. Route 34 continues north before it intersects Route 33 and CR 547 at the Collingwood Circle.[1][2]

 
Route 34 northbound at the Garden State Parkway in Wall Township

At the traffic circle, Route 34 turns northwest to form a concurrency with Route 33 on a four-lane divided highway that passes businesses, crossing into Howell Township and passing over the Southern Secondary railroad line operated by the Delaware and Raritan River Railroad.[1][2] The two routes eventually split, with Route 34 heading north on a two-lane undivided road.[1] It passes through wooded areas of Naval Weapons Station Earle and enters Colts Neck Township.[1][2] Upon leaving the grounds of Naval Weapons Station Earle, the route widens into a four-lane divided highway again and comes to a cloverleaf interchange with the Route 18 freeway.[1] Past this interchange, Route 34 becomes a two-lane undivided road that passes development and Delicious Orchards before crossing CR 537. From here, the road heads past suburban neighborhoods and farmland, intersecting CR 54 before meeting CR 4.[1][2] Route 34 forms a brief concurrency with CR 4 until the county route heads northeast on South Street.[1] The route continues into wooded areas of homes, crossing into Holmdel Township, where it has a junction with CR 520.[1][2]

 
Southbound Route 34 in Colts Neck Township along the two-lane section of the highway

After this intersection, the road continues past homes and farms before turning northwest and entering Marlboro Township. Here, the road heads through wooded residential and commercial areas, briefly becoming a four-lane road, before it crosses into Aberdeen Township. In Aberdeen, Route 34 heads into business areas as it crosses CR 3. The road becomes a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane, forming the border of Matawan to the west and Aberdeen Township to the east. Upon passing under the Henry Hudson Trail, the route entirely enters Matawan, continuing northwest as four-lane Middlesex Street.[1][2] Here, Route 34 intersects CR 516 and Route 79 and CR 516 Spur.[1] Following these intersection, the road heads into residential and business areas, crossing over Lake Lefferts.[1][2]

 
View north along Route 34 at Disbrow Road in Old Bridge

Route 34 crosses into Old Bridge Township, Middlesex County, where it becomes a two-lane road, continuing through commercial areas. The route intersects CR 689, where it turns to the west and passes through areas of residences and businesses and reaches the CR 687 intersection.[1][2] At the intersection with CR 699, Route 34 turns to the north and intersects another segment of CR 699 known as Spring Hill Road.[1] The road continues north and ends at a partial interchange with US 9, with access to northbound US 9 and access from southbound US 9. Missing movements between northbound Route 34 and southbound US 9 and northbound US 9 and southbound Route 34 are provided by Perrine Road to the south.[2]

History edit

The Holmdel and Middletown Point Turnpike was a turnpike chartered February 28, 1862[3] and ran between Holmdel Township and Middletown Point (now Matawan). The road's trajectory is now roughly followed by Route 34.[4]

In the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 34 was legislated to run from an intersection with Route 35 (now Route 88 in Laurelton, Ocean County, north to Route 4 (now Route 79) in Matawan, with the portion of current Route 34 north of that intersection legislated as part of Route 4.[5][6] By the 1940s, US 9 was also designated along the present-day portion of Route 34 that was then a part of Route 4, this would later become Route 4A after US 9 and Route 4 were moved to a new alignment between Freehold and Cheesequake.[7] In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 34 was extended north along the alignment of Route 4A to end at US 9 in Cheesequake while the southern terminus was cut back to the Brielle Circle intersection with Route 35 and Route 70, the latter having replaced Route 34 south of this point.[8] By 1969, Route 34 was widened into a divided highway as far north as Route 33.[9] The Brielle Circle at the southern terminus of the route was converted into at-grade intersections with traffic lights in 2001.[10]

Major intersections edit

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
MonmouthWall Township0.000.00  Route 35 – Belmar, Seaside Park
 
 
Route 70 west – Lakehurst, Camden
Former Brielle Circle; eastern terminus of Route 70
1.973.17 
 
CR 524 Spur (Atlantic Avenue) – Farmingdale, Sea Girt, Manasquan
Interchange
2.634.23  CR 524 (Allaire Road) – Farmingdale, Spring LakeAllenwood Circle
3.52–
3.61
5.66–
5.81
 
 
G.S. Parkway
Exit 98 (Garden State Parkway)
4.136.65 
 
 
 
I-195 west / Route 138 east – Trenton, Belmar
Exit 35 (I-195); eastern terminus of I-195; western terminus of Route 138
7.2611.68CR 547 Spur north (Wyckoff Road)Southern terminus of CR 547 Spur
7.7212.42 
 
 
 
Route 33 east / CR 547 north – Ocean Grove
 
 
CR 547 south (Asbury Road) – Farmingdale
Collingwood Circle, south end of Route 33 overlap
Howell Township8.7614.10 
 
Route 33 west – Freehold, Trenton
Northbound exit and southbound entrance, north end of Route 33 overlap
Colts Neck Township12.2719.75  Route 18 – New Brunswick, Tinton FallsExit 19 (Route 18)
13.2121.26  CR 537 – Freehold, Eatontown, Fort Monmouth
Holmdel Township17.4028.00  CR 520 (Newman Springs Road/West Main Street) – Bradevelt, Holmdel
Matawan22.3435.95  CR 516 (Broad Street) – Old Bridge, Keyport
22.4236.08 
 
Route 79 south / CR 516 Spur north (Main Street)
Northern terminus of Route 79; southern terminus of CR 516 Spur
MiddlesexOld Bridge Township26.7943.11 
 
US 9 north
Interchange; access to northbound US 9 and access from southbound US 9
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Route 34 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Google (2009-07-07). "overview of New Jersey Route 34" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
  3. ^ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1862, Chapter 56
  4. ^ Henderson, Helen; Association, Matawan Historical (30 April 2003). Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field. Arcadia Publishing. p. 55. Retrieved 7 June 2018 – via Internet Archive. Holmdel and Middletown Point Turnpike.
  5. ^ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.
  6. ^ Williams, Jimmy and Sharon. "1927 New Jersey Road Map". 1920s New Jersey Highways. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  7. ^ Map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. Mid-West Map Co. 1941. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  8. ^ "1953 renumbering". New Jersey Department of Highways. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Map of New Jersey (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. Chevron Oil Company. 1969.
  10. ^ "DiFrancesco and Weinstein Open Newly Reconfigured Interchange". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-12-21.

External links edit

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