South end: CR 635 in Trenton Length 51.1 km | North end: CR 670 in Sayreville | |
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Counties Mercer County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey | ||
County Route 535, abbreviated CR 535, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 31.75 miles (51.10 km) from Logan Avenue (where it becomes CR 635), at the boundary between Trenton and Hamilton Township in Mercer County to the intersection of Main Street, Raritan Street and Washington Road in Sayreville in Middlesex County.
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Map of Co Rd 535, New Jersey, USA
The road serves as the main street through the small communities of Cranbury, South River and Sayreville, while also passing through rural areas on the outskirts of Mercer and southern Middlesex counties. At various points, it is locally known as East State Street, Edinburg Road, Old Trenton Road, Cranbury-South River Road, Main Street and Washington Road.
Route description
The designation of CR 535 picks up East State Street at the Trenton city line and heads northeast into the Bromley neighborhood of Hamilton. It parallels the Northeast Corridor line between both municipalities' respective train stations before abruptly turning southeast at 1.9 miles (3.1 km), an intersection with Klockner Road. Now the East State Street Extension and maintained by Hamilton Township, CR 535 meets Interstate 295 (I-295) with limited access at exit 64. Traffic traveling southbound on CR 535 (traveling geographically north for this brief stretch) has a ramp leading to I-295 north toward U.S. Route 1 (US 1) and I-95, while southbound traffic on the freeway can exit onto CR 535 north. From here, CR 535 continues toward Nottingham Way (CR 652), and turns left onto it, about 700 feet (210 m) east of where Route 33 merges onto Nottingham Way. County maintenance resumes at this point and CR 535 stays on this road for just 0.13 miles (0.21 km) before reaching a five-way intersection with Route 533 (Quakerbridge Road north of the intersection, White Horse-Mercerville Road south of it) and Nottingham Way, which is CR 618 as it travels southeast away from the intersection toward Hamilton Square.
Having regained its northeast direction, CR 535 moves through this intersection and becomes Edinburg Road. At a traffic signal with Paxson Avenue, the road widens to two lanes in each direction. It leaves Hamilton for West Windsor, and bumps up against Mercer County Community College on the left. Just beyond the college is Mercer County Park, which is accessible through South Post Road (CR 602) or through the park's official west entrance after CR 535's reduction to one lane each way. Just beyond the park entrance, the route has a short concurrency with CR 526, which comes from Robbinsville Township to the south. Less than one-quarter mile (0.40 km) later, CR 526 turns due north again and heads for Princeton Junction while Windsor Road (CR 641) travels southeast. CR 535 continues to the northeast as Old Trenton Road, crossing into East Windsor. In East Windsor, it intersects CR 571, with the entrance to the Route 133 bypass of Hightstown visible to the right. CR 535 crosses the Millstone River and into Middlesex County.
CR 535 is now traversing Cranbury, traveling for a just under three miles (4.8 km) before reaching the township's Main Street. It turns left toward the downtown area, while CR 685 comes from the right and turns to continue down Old Trenton Road to its terminus at US 130. Once through Cranbury, CR 535 turns right onto Plainsboro Road and shortly thereafter, merges into another short concurrency, this time with US 130. After less than one-tenth mile (0.16 km), it breaks off to the right, taking a north-by-northeast path toward the New Jersey Turnpike and the lower Raritan River valley.
CR 535 enters South Brunswick Township. Though signed at various points as Cranbury-South River Road, South River Road and Cranbury Road, it is officially only the latter. It meets Route 32, providing access to the Turnpike as it passes to the right. Originally all traffic to and from the Turnpike's exit 8A used Route 32, but vehicles leaving the Turnpike and not traveling towards Jamesburg now exit onto CR 535. It runs along the boundary between South Brunswick and Monroe and then crosses under the Turnpike. It leaves the border for a short stretch starting at an intersection with CR 522, then returns to what is now the township line with East Brunswick Township for one and a half miles (2.4 km). Later it enters East Brunswick completely.
CR 535 is one of the main thoroughfares of East Brunswick, along with Route 18, Ryders Lane (CR 617), and Dunhams Corner Road. The latter branches off at the same point CR 535 moves all the way into the township, banks hard to the right at East Brunswick Community Park just shy of the Turnpike, then rejoins CR 535. CR 535 intersects Ryders Lane, passes East Brunswick High School on the right, then approaches a complex interchange with Route 18, providing access to New Brunswick and the Turnpike at exit 9 to the northwest, Old Bridge and shore points to the south, and Spotswood via CR 613 (Summerhill Road). CR 535 itself continues north and crosses into the borough of South River at the crossing of the Old Bridge Turnpike (CR 527).
At 27.38, CR 535 crosses the South River via the Veteran's Memorial Bridge and into its final municipality of Sayreville. Though Main Street (CR 670) breaks off, CR 535 (Washington Road) serves the more densely populated southern half of the borough, as well as Sayreville War Memorial High School and Sayreville Middle School. CR 535 enters the outskirts of South Amboy though it comes up just short of the border between the two municipalities. One mile (1.6 km) later, it crosses underneath the Garden State Parkway and reaches its northern terminus, an intersection with the other end of Sayreville's Main Street. The Washington Road designation follows a ramp off to the right and onto Main Street, continuing into South Amboy. Raritan Street continues another mile to an intersection with the concurrency of US 9 and Route 35 on approach to the Edison Bridge and the Victory Bridge, respectively.