County Route 527 (New Jersey)
 County Route 527 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CR 527 highlighted in red, CR 527A in blue | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 84.8 mi[1] (136.5 km) | |||
| Existed | January 1, 1953[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   Route 166 / CR 549 in Toms River | |||
| ||||
| North end |   Route 23 / CR 604 in Cedar Grove | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New Jersey | |||
| Counties | Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Essex | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
County Route 527 (CR 527) is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 84.8 mi (136.47 km) from Main Street (Route 166 and CR 549) in Toms River to Pompton Avenue (Route 23) in Cedar Grove. It passes through more counties (six) than any other county route in New Jersey. CR 527 is also the second longest 500-series county route in New Jersey after Route 519. The county route traverses through the northernmost stretches of the Pine Barrens in South Jersey, much of the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in Central Jersey (providing access to Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, Watchung Reservation, and South Mountain Reservation), and the First and Second Watchung Mountains in North Jersey.[3][4][5][6] It passes through Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, and Essex counties on the eastern side of the state.
It has a 2.4 mile concurrency with Route 18 in Middlesex County in addition to other minor state highways and county roads. The route interchanges with the Garden State Parkway and Interstates 195, 95 (New Jersey Turnpike), 287, 78, and 280. It was first given the number 527 in 1954.
Route description
CR 527 begins at a traffic light with Route 166 in Toms River.[1] Passing some local roads at the beginning, CR 527 crosses an interchange with the Garden State Parkway at .53 of a mile (0.85 km). More than a mile later, Route 37 crosses CR 527 at a traffic light. Continuing through Toms River, CR 571 merges into CR 527 for about 3/4 of a mile.[1] At 7.57 miles (12.18 km), Route 70 crosses CR 527. Just past ten miles (16 km), CR 547 crosses into Jackson. Further in Jackson, CR 527 joins CR 528 for a 3.7-mile-long (6.0 km) concurrency. At the end of the concurrency, CR 527 continues straight while CR 528 leaves to the left and Bennetts Mills Road (CR 636) leaves to the right.[1]
At 18.0 miles (29.0 km), West Commodore Boulevard/East Commodore Boulevard (CR 526) and CR 527 intersect.[1] Less than a mile later, I-195 interchanges with CR 527. Past this interchange, the route passes east of the Jackson Park & Ride, a park and ride facility serving Academy Bus Lines. At 19.6 miles (31.5 km), CR 527 leaves Ocean County and enters Monmouth County. In Smithburg (the Freehold / Millstone / Manalapan township border), crossing the intersection of Monmouth Road (CR 524/CR 537). Past 24 miles (39 km) at Carrs Corner, CR 527 turns to the right heading northeast while an alternate route to 527, CR 527A begins straight ahead. At 26.6 miles (42.8 km), Route 33 crosses at a traffic light in Manalapan. CR 527 heads north enters Englishtown.[1] In Englishtown, CR 527 reaches the northern terminus of CR 527A at South Main Street and becomes Main Street before it intersects with Tennent Avenue (CR 522. CR 527 forms a 0.0-mile-long (0 m) concurrency with CR 522 and splits from CR 527 by turning west on Water Street. At 30.5 miles (49.1 km), CR 527 re-enters Manalapan for a short distance. At 31.5 miles (50.7 km), CR 527 enters Monroe Township which is in Middlesex County. CR 527 spends a short time in Monroe Township as it soon enters Old Bridge. At 34.2 miles (55.0 km), Texas Road (CR 520) crosses at a traffic light.[1]
After passing local roads in Old Bridge, CR 527 forms a brief concurrency with CR 516 as they cross over Route 18.[1] CR 527 leaves to the left at Old Matawan Road, crosses the South River, and enters East Brunswick. After the intersection of Main Street (CR 615), it continues on Old Bridge Turnpike bordering East Brunswick to the southwest and South River to the northeast. Just before 41 miles (66 km), Cranbury Road/Main Street (CR 535) crosses the intersection of CR 527 at a traffic light. Fully entering East Brunswick again, Route 18 and CR 527 merge for 2.4 miles (6 km).[1] In this section, there are exits for the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and US 1. CR 527 follows Route 18 into New Brunswick and exits the concurrency with Route 18 and forms one for the entire length of Route 172 through Rutgers University's Douglass Campus. Heading northwest along New Brunswick's George Street, CR 527 then merges into a concurrency with Route 27 on Albany Street. CR 527 turns off Route 27 at Easton Avenue. At Hamilton Street (unsigned CR 514), CR 527 continues past numerous businesses towards the outskirts of New Brunswick.[1]
At 48 miles (77 km), CR 527 enters Franklin Township, Somerset County and approximately a half-mile later, CR 527 splits into a four-lane highway, known locally as Easton Avenue.[1] The stretch does not last long as it ends at about 50.5 miles (81.3 km). At 51.2 miles (82.4 km), the roads split again and soon reach I-287. At 52.1 miles (83.8 km), CR 527 crosses the town border and enters South Bound Brook. Soon entering regular Bound Brook, the road divides again into a divided highway at 53.3 miles (85.8 km). The divided highway merges again at about 53.8 miles (86.6 km). At 54.3 miles (87.4 km), Route 28 crosses.[1] After the intersection with Route 28, CR 527 enters Bridgewater and crosses with US 22. In Watchung, CR 529 leaves to the right. Just past the 61-mile (98 km) mark, the road divides again for a short time. In between this divided stage, CR 531 merges in. CR 531 leaves as the highways merge again.[1]
Now in Union County, CR 527 has two partial interchanges with I-78 as it skirts the Watchung Reservation.[1] In the city of Summit, CR 527 and the easternmost section of CR 512 split into one-way pairs through an interchange with Route 24 and a concurrency with Route 124. CR 527 enters Essex County after the concurrency ends.[1] CR 527 enters Millburn and splits into one-way pairs again, concurrent with CR 577 as it enters downtown.[1] At 71.5 miles (115.1 km), CR 577 leaves to the right. Just before 74 miles (119 km), CR 510 crosses. The road passes by Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.[1] At 75 miles (121 km), CR 508 crosses at a traffic light as the route enters Livingston. New Jersey Route 10 crosses at 77.2 miles (124.2 km) and then I-280 crosses at 78 miles (126 km). In Caldwell, CR 527 merges with CR 506 for about .62 of a mile (0.97 km). CR 527 ends at an intersection with Route 23 in Cedar Grove.[1]
History
From the New-East Brunswick Line to Old Bridge, the road was once maintained by the East Brunswick and New Brunswick Turnpike Company, chartered in 1865. It was once part of State Route S-24, now Route 18, though this was bypassed.
The New Brunswick section of CR 527 was known as County Route 3R11 back in 1947. The parts south of that in Middlesex County was known as County Route 3R10.[7] By 1954, the road was known as County Route 527, part of the 500-series county roads adopted by the state of New Jersey.[8]
Two former spur routes of CR 527 existed. The first CR 527 Spur in Somerset County ran along what is now Somerset CR 651, CR 512, and Somerset CR 613. The second CR 527 Spur ran along what is now Essex County Routes 608 and 649.[9]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean | Toms River | 0.0 | 0.0 |  Route 166 (Main Street) / CR 549 north (Water Street) | Southern terminus; southern terminus of CR 549 |
| 0.5 | 0.80 |   G.S. Parkway / US 9 – New York, Beachwood, Atlantic City | Exit 81 on G.S. Parkway | ||
| 1.9 | 3.1 |  Route 37 | |||
| 4.1 | 6.6 |   CR 571 east (Indian Head Road) | Southern end of CR 571 concurrency | ||
| 4.8 | 7.7 |  CR 571 west (Ridgeway Road) | Northern end of CR 571 concurrency | ||
| 7.5 | 12.1 |  Route 70 – Lakehurst, Brielle | |||
| Jackson Township | 10.3 | 16.6 |  CR 547 (South Hope Chapel Road) | ||
| 11.7 | 18.8 |  CR 528 east (East Veterans Highway) – Lakewood | Southern end of CR 528 concurrency | ||
| 15.4 | 24.8 |  CR 528 west (West Veterans Highway) / CR 636 east (Bennetts Mills Road) – Plumsted, Freehold | Northern end of CR 528 concurrency; western terminus of CR 636 | ||
| 18.0 | 29.0 |  CR 526 (Commodore Boulevard) | |||
| 18.4 | 29.6 |      I-195 to I-95 / N.J. Turnpike – Trenton, Belmar | Exit 21 on I-195 | ||
| Monmouth | Freehold–Millstone– Manalapan township tripoint | 22.4 | 36.0 |   CR 524 / CR 537 (Monmouth Road) | Forms the municipal tripoint Smithburg |
| Millstone–Manalapan township line | 24.3 | 39.1 |     CR 1 west (Sweetmans Lane) / CR 527A north (Smithburg Road) to Route 33 – Perrineville | Eastern terminus of CR 1; southern terminus of CR 527A | |
| Manalapan Township | 26.6 | 42.8 | Route 33 – Hightstown, Freehold | ||
| Englishtown | 29.8 | 48.0 |  CR 527A south (South Main Street) | Northern terminus of CR 527A | |
| 29.9 | 48.1 |  CR 522 east (Tennent Avenue) | Southern end of CR 522 concurrency | ||
| 30.0 | 48.3 | CR 522 west (Water Street) | Northern end of CR 522 concurrency | ||
| Middlesex | Old Bridge Township | 34.2 | 55.0 |  CR 520 east (Texas Road) to I-95 / N.J. Turnpike | Western terminus of CR 520 |
| 37.8 | 60.8 |   Route 18 north  CR 516 begins | Interchange; western terminus of CR 516 | ||
| 38.0 | 61.2 | CR 516 east (Old Bridge Matawan Road) | Northern end of CR 516 concurrency | ||
| East Brunswick | 38.6– 38.8 | 62.1– 62.4 |  Route 18 north / CR 615 (Main Street) to I-95 / N.J. Turnpike – New Brunswick | Interchange | |
| 40.9 | 65.8 |  CR 535 (Cranbury Road / Main Street) | |||
| 42.9 | 69.0 |  Route 18 south | Southern end of Route 18 concurrency | ||
| 43.9 | 70.7 | Southern end of limited-access section | |||
| I-95 / N.J. Turnpike | Exit 9 on I-95 / Turnpike | ||||
| New Brunswick | 44.6 | 71.8 |  US 1 – Newark, Trenton | Partial cloverleaf interchange | |
| 45.2 | 72.7 | Route 18 north – Piscataway  Route 172 begins | Northern end of Route 18 concurrency; eastern terminus of Route 172; no northbound entrance | ||
| Northern end of limited-access section | |||||
| 46.0 | 74.0 |  Route 172 ends | |||
| 46.7 | 75.2 |   Route 27 north (Albany Street) / CR 672 (George Street) | Southern end of Route 27 concurrency | ||
| 46.8 | 75.3 | Route 27 south (French Street) | Northern end of Route 27 concurrency | ||
| 46.9 | 75.5 |  CR 514 (Hamilton Street) | |||
| Somerset | Franklin Township | 51.5 | 82.9 |  I-287 to N.J. Turnpike – Perth Amboy, Morristown, Mahwah | Exit 10 on I-287 |
| Bound Brook | 53.3 | 85.8 |   CR 533 north (East Main Street) / CR 689 north (East Street) | Roundabout; southern end of CR 533 concurrency; southern terminus of CR 689 | |
| 53.6 | 86.3 | CR 533 south (East Main Street) | Northern end of CR 533 concurrency | ||
| 53.9 | 86.7 |  Route 28 (East Union Avenue) – Somerville, Plainfield | |||
| Bridgewater Township | 54.8 | 88.2 |  US 22 – Somerville, Newark | Interchange | |
| Watchung | 59.47 | 95.71 |  CR 529 south (Washington Rock Road) | Northern terminus of CR 529 | |
| 60.9– 61.0 | 98.0– 98.2 |   CR 531 (Somerset Street / Hillcrest Road) to I-78 – North Plainfield | Roundabout | ||
| Union | Berkeley Heights | 65.4 | 105.3 |  I-78 east – Newark | Exit 44 on I-78 |
| Summit | 67.3 | 108.3 |  I-78 west – Easton | Southbound exit only | |
| 69.6 | 112.0 |  CR 512 west | Eastern terminus of CR 512 | ||
| Springfield Township | 69.8 | 112.3 |   Route 24 east to I-78 / I-95 / N.J. Turnpike | Exit 9A on Route 24 | |
| 70.0 | 112.7 |   Route 124 west to Route 24 – Summit, Chatham, Morristown | Southern end of Route 124 concurrency | ||
| Essex | Millburn | 70.1 | 112.8 | Route 124 east – Elizabeth, Newark | Northern end of Route 124 concurrency |
| 71.1 | 114.4 |  CR 577 (Main Street / Millburn Avenue) | |||
| 73.5 | 118.3 |  CR 510 (South Orange Avenue) | |||
| Livingston | 74.8 | 120.4 |  CR 508 (Northfield Avenue) | ||
| 76.9 | 123.8 |  Route 10 (Mt. Pleasant Avenue) – Whippany, Newark | |||
| Roseland | 78.1 | 125.7 |  I-280 – Parsippany, Newark | Exits 5A-B on I-280 | |
| Caldwell | 80.7 | 129.9 |  CR 506 west (Bloomfield Avenue) | Southern end of CR 506 concurrency | |
| 81.4 | 131.0 | CR 506 east (Bloomfield Avenue) | Northern end of CR 506 concurrency | ||
| Cedar Grove | 84.8 | 136.5 | Route 23 (Pompton Avenue) / CR 604 (Lindsley Road) | Northern terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
CR 527A
 County Route 527A | |
|---|---|
| Location | Millstone Township - Englishtown |
| Length | 5.9 mi[10] (9.5 km) |
County Route 527A (also known as County Route 527 Alternate or CR 527A) is a county highway in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The highway extends about six miles (9.7 km) from Sweetmans Lane (County Routes 527 and 1) in Carrs Corner, on the border of Millstone and Manalapan townships, following Woodville Road, Iron Ore Road, High Bridge Road, and South Main Street to Park Avenue / South Main Street in Englishtown. It crosses the intersection of Route 33 about halfway between its two termini.[10]
The section of the highway named Iron Ore Road was once part of the Manalapanville and Englishtown Turnpike, chartered in 1863 to run from Englishtown to Manalapanville, on the border of Millstone Township, including High Bridge Road and Main Street into Englishtown and Dugan's Grove Road.
Near its northern terminus, CR 527A formerly followed Iron Ore Road to its end at Millhurst Road (CR 527) in Manalapan, but in late 2015, a jurisdiction swap between Monmouth County and Manalapan / Englishtown routed the county road on a straighter course into the borough.[11]
Major intersections
The entire route is in Monmouth County.
| Location | mi[10] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millstone–Manalapan township line | 0.0 | 0.0 |  CR 1 west (Sweetmans Lane) / CR 527 (Smithburg Road) – Perrineville, Millhurst | Southern terminus; eastern terminus of CR 1 | |
| 2.2 | 3.5 | Route 33 – Hightstown, Freehold | |||
| Englishtown | 5.9 | 9.5 | CR 527 (Park Avenue / South Main Street) | Northern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "County Route 527 straight line diagram" (PDF). Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Department of Transportation. March 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ "State Ready to Push Traffic Off Major Roads in Air Raid". The Sunday Times. New Brunswick, New Jersey. March 15, 1953. pp. 1, 39. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pinelands Preservation Alliance, "New Jersey Pinelands and Pine Barrens Overview". Accessed December 17, 2023
- ^ Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, "The Watershed". Accessed December 17, 2023.
- ^ Rahway River Watershed Association, "Our Mission". Accessed December 17, 2023.
- ^ Endangered New Jersey, "New Jersey's Watchung Mountains", October 11, 2015. Accessed December 17, 2023.
- ^ 1947 Map of Middlesex County
- ^ Front of a 1953 Map of Middlesex County
- ^ Steve Alpert. "New Jersey Roads - NJ State Highways - CR 515-530". Retrieved 2008-08-28.[self-published source]
- ^ a b c "County Route 527 Alternate Straight Line Diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. March 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ "Minutes - Regular Meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Englishtown" (PDF). August 26, 2015. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
