New Jersey Route 129

Route 129 is a major arterial boulevard state highway in the capital city of Trenton, New Jersey. The highway runs along Canal Boulevard, a four-lane arterial through portions of Trenton, serving as an alternative highway to its parent, Route 29. The route begins at an intersection with Lamberton Road in Hamilton Township, heads northward along the River Line maintained by New Jersey Transit until terminating at an interchange with U.S. Route 1 (US 1; the Trenton Freeway).

Route 129
Canal Boulevard
Route information
Auxiliary route of Route 29
Maintained by NJDOT
Length	2.41 mi[1] (3.88 km)
Existed	September 1993[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	Lamberton Road in Hamilton Township
	Route 29 in Hamilton Township US 206 in Trenton
North end	US 1 in Trenton
Location
Counties	Mercer
Highway system
New Jersey State Highway Routes Interstate U.S. State Scenic Byways ← Route 124 → US 130

The original use of Route 129 opened in 1961 on what is now Interstate 295 (I-295) from the Scudder Falls Bridge to Scotch Road in Trenton. The route was replaced in 1974 by I-95 (re-designated as I-295 in 2018), while the route's current incarnation opened in September 1993 along a former portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The route has remained virtually untouched since its opening.

Route description

Route 129 heading south through Trenton near Broad Street

Route 129 begins at an intersection with Lamberton Road on the Delaware River in Hamilton Township. The highway proceeds northward, passing through small fields and tree patches until reaching railroad tracks, where the route turns to the northwest, paralleling its parent, the Route 29 freeway to the west. Route 129 then becomes a divided highway, intersecting with an onramp to Route 29 and passing to the east of a large factory. From there, the highway merges back together and comes upon a partial interchange with Route 29. Route 129 itself continues along the railroad tracks on Canal Boulevard, entering the city of Trenton, where it becomes a divided highway once again.[3]

View north along Route 129 at Hamilton Avenue

At an intersection with Mercer County Route 650 (Lalor Street), Route 129 develops a grassy median and heads along the industrial portion of the city. With NJ Transit's River Line paralleling the highway, the state road serves access to large factories, a large residential district and a train station between Lalor Road and Cass Street. Route 129 continues northward along Canal, crossing under US 206 (South Broad Street) with a southbound exit to that road. It crosses Hamilton Avenue before reaching an interchange with US 1, where Route 129 ends and Canal Boulevard's right of way merges into the Trenton Freeway.[3]

History

Route 129 originates as the earliest designation on a freeway from the Scudder Falls Bridge on the Delaware River to the interchange with Scotch Road, which opened in 1961. At that point, the new freeway was proposed with an eastward extension to US 1. However, by 1974, Route 129 was re-designated as a portion of I-95,[4] and is now designated as I-295. The current incarnation of Route 129 was constructed along a former portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canal as an alternate arterial boulevard to Route 29 that opened in September 1993 from Lamberton Road to US 1 at a cost of $24.185 million (1993 USD) by the George Harms Construction Company.[2] The route has remained virtually untouched since.[1]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Mercer County.

Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Hamilton Township	0.00	0.00	Lamberton Road	Southern terminus of Route 129
	0.59	0.95	Route 29 south to I-195 / I-295 – Shore Points, Camden	Interchange
Trenton	1.87	3.01	US 206 (South Broad Street) – Chambersburg	Southbound exit
	2.41	3.88	US 1 north	Interchange, northern terminus of Route 129
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

•  U.S. Roads portal
•  New Jersey portal

References

1. "Route 129 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
2. "NJDOT Route 129 Sections 10A and 11A". Farmingdale, New Jersey: George Harms Construction Company Inc. 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
3. Overview map of Route 129 (Map). Cartography by NAVTEQ Inc. Bing Maps. 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
4. Alpert, Steve; Moraseski, Dan (2009). "NJ 129". Alps Roads. Retrieved October 30, 2009.

External links

• New Jersey Roads - NJ 129
• New Jersey Highway Ends: 129
• Speed Limits for State Roads: Route 129