NJ’s least favorite roadway: Route 22
There’s the usual congestion and speed concerns, but the real issue is the U-turns and stores in the middle of the road, constantly slowing traffic and forcing quick merges.
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New Jersey’s roadways drive commuters crazy.
News 12 asked viewers their five least favorite in a web poll.
I-80 came in at No. 5, Route 1 came in fourth place, I-287 came in third and the Garden State Parkway came in second place.
Viewers voted Route 22 as their least favorite road to drive in New Jersey.
Navigating Route 22 in Union County is not for the faint of heart. There’s the usual congestion and speed concerns, but the real issue is the U-turns and stores in the middle of the road, constantly slowing traffic and forcing quick merges.
“I live like five minutes away from here, and it takes me like 10-15 minutes just to get to ShopRite,” said Javier, of Kenilworth.
“If I have to go anywhere in the middle, I'll go around just to get there,” said Roslyn, of Vauxhall. “It's too difficult.”
One News 12 commenter called these U-turns “a death sentence.” Another urged traffic lights. With all the stores, car dealerships and restaurants, the 2-mile stretch between Union and Springfield is a sensory overload.
“It's bad enough in a car,” said Don, of Maplewood. “I used to ride a motorcycle on 22. That's taking your life in your hands.”
The whole highway stretches from Newark to Cincinnati, and there are similar issues along its westernmost points in New Jersey.
Over the summer, the town of Phillipsburg closed three U-turns near the post office that were considered “high-risk.”
Route 22 ends in New Jersey on the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge into Pennsylvania, and it’s the only toll collected on the highway in the Garden State.
Route 22 takes a different kind of toll on commuters every day, making it the viewer’s choice as New Jersey’s least favorite roadway to drive on.
