Almost 15 years ago, the connection of Route 18 to I-287 would come to work. This very project has large importance to Piscataway as it has helped establish and revitalize the Hoes lane area, making it more accessible to I-287 and Rutgers. 

Although this section of Piscataway is not as populated as others, it is still home to many large businesses and most importantly, Piscataway High School, which needed better connection to the rest of the Township. This connection has also helped connect neighboring New Brunswick to I-287 which looks to loop around the city in total.

So, how did the government plan to upgrade, and complete the connection of Route 18? 

To find out how this project was made, we have to go back to 2001 where a separate project was made to connect Rutgers more over the Raritan river, bringing Route 18 to Southern Piscataway. 

However, Route 18 blatantly ends at a small intersection with Buckingham Drive and has no other significance to the area. Plans were then made to further expand Route 18 and then in 2009, a proposed alignment would be made. This alignment would extend the route to go through a newly upgraded Hoes Lane and Centennial Avenue which would finalize its connections to I-287.

With these connections, more traffic had prospered throughout the area which was pretty much anticipated. To combat the extra amount of traffic, the New Jersey Department of Transportation had planned to repave 4-lanes of traffic and add new sidewalks, a couple pedestrian bridges, and most importantly, new traffic lights.

These new upgrades also could’ve never come sooner as the creation of Piscataway’s new YMCA would be built only a few years after its completion.