Middlesex Greenway
| Middlesex Greenway | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3.5 mi (5.6 km) |
| Location | Middlesex County, New Jersey |
| Trailheads | Metuchen Woodbridge |
| Use | Running, Hiking, Cycling |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Easy |
| Season | Year round |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Right of way | Lehigh Valley Railroad |
The Middlesex Greenway is a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) rail trail in New Jersey between Metuchen and Woodbridge.[1]
The trail begins at Crows Mill Road near William Street in the Fords/Keasbey section of Woodbridge and terminates in Metuchen at Middlesex Avenue, with 12 entry points.[1][2] Construction costs were $5 million.[3] Expansion to Perth Amboy and South Plainfield has also been proposed.[4]
History
The trail's roadbed originates from the Easton & Amboy Railroad created by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1875 to transport anthracite coal to a transfer dock in Perth Amboy for subsequent delivery to New York City. The line was consolidated into Conrail with other bankrupt railroads in 1976, and abandoned in 1991.[3]
Using open space funds,[5] Middlesex County purchased the roadbed from Conrail in December 2002 for approximately $50,000.[4] In 2004 Edison elected officials challenged NJDOT's plan to replace an original railroad trestle with a 140-foot long tunnel-like structure to carry the trail under US Route 1. The proposed culvert would have reduced the trail's capacity to a 14-foot wide by 10-foot high passageway, potentially preventing mounted police from traversing the highway.[6] NJDOT eventually agreed to construct a pedestrian bridge in lieu of the culvert.[5]
In 2005 Middlesex County acquired 2.68 acres of land adjacent to the trail to build a park along a portion of the abandoned roadbed at a cost of $1.25 million Middlesex County and $100,000 from Metuchen.[7]
Trail heads
- Woodbridge, Crows Mill Road, Woodbridge[2]
- Metuchen, Middlesex Avenue, Metuchen[1]
References
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- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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