Washington Road bridge to be closed until sometime this fall (updated)

ByKrystal Knapp Updated
3 Comments

Commuters and Princeton area residents can expect a few months or more of even worse traffic jams than usual while the Washington Road bridge over the D&R Canal is replaced.

Washington Road will be closed between Faculty Road in Princeton and Tiger Lane in West Windsor starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26. Local access will be available between Route 1 and Tiger Lane, meaning construction workers for Princeton University will have access for university projects.

The $9.4 million bridge replacement is expected to be completed sometime in the fall but officials have not named a specific target completion date.

The following detours will be in place:


Washington Road southbound detour (updated):

  • Drivers wishing to travel southbound on Washington Road will be directed to use Route 27/Nassau Street
  • Turn left onto Alexander Street
  • Take the ramp to Route 1 northbound to New Brunswick
  • Take the jughandle to CR 571 northbound/Princeton to Washington Road

Or

  • From Route 27/Nassau Street, turn right onto Harrison Street
  • Turn right onto Route 1 southbound
  • Stay right on Route 1 southbound to take the “All Turns” lane to CR 571/Hightstown/Princeton back to Washington Road

Washington Road northbound detour:

  • Drivers on Washington Road northbound before the Route 1 intersection wishing to cross the Washington Road Bridge over the D&R Canal will be directed to turn left onto Route 1 southbound
  • Take the ramp to Alexander Road westbound/Princeton
  • Continue on Alexander Road and turn right onto University Place
  • Turn right onto Route 27/Nassau Street northbound back to Washington Road

Drivers traveling on Route 1 northbound or southbound wishing to travel into Princeton will be directed to use Alexander Road/Alexander Street or South Harrison Street/Lower Harrison Street.

The timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.

Pedestrians and cyclists

Access to the D&R Canal towpath will be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists on Washington Road heading southbound, crossing the Washington Road Bridge over Lake Carnegie. Barriers will be in place to direct pedestrians and cyclists to the towpath a safe distance away from the active construction zone.

Pedestrians and cyclists on Washington Road heading northbound will not be able to access the D&R Canal towpath. Instead, they can use crossings at Alexander Street and Harrison Street.

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

3 Comments

  1. Actually, I don,t think the bridge over Lake Carnegie is being replaced at all, as the article seems to state. If I understand correctly, it is the smaller almost unnoticeable bridge over the canal, on the Route 1 side of the lake that is being replaced, from what I have read, although the practical impact for cars is the same, It’s not 100% clear to me if pedestrians and bicyclers from the Princeton side of the lake will be able to cross the lake to get to the towpath, although I think that is the the general plan.

    1. We have updated the story to clarify that the D&R bridge is the one being replaced, and we have reached out to the NJDOT for clarification about whether pedestrians from the Princeton side will be able to cross the lake to get to the towpath.

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