Welcome to the South Branch Parkway Homepage!
			On this site youπll learn about smart growth principles, find the latest news and updates, how you can get involved, and who to contact with your questions. Congestion on Route 31 in the Raritan Township/Flemington Borough area has been a growing concern for area residents, business owners, and elected officials for some time, and several congestion management alternatives have been studied by NJDOT since 1987. New Jerseyπs recently established Smart Growth Policy Council consists of statewide departments and agencies including the NJDOT. Its focus is to ensure that statewide programs and projects are consistent with New Jerseyπs smart growth principles. This smart growth initiative, coupled with the high cost of the Flemington Bypass in the face of declining state road revenues, has led the NJDOT to initiate the development of a "smart growth alternative" to solve the regional congestion problem. Developing that alternative has led to a redefinition of the project area boundaries to include not just Route 31, but a network of roads in adjacent areas as well. As required under federal law, the South Branch Parkway project team has started performing the analyses that will be documented in the project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS describes in detail any anticipated significant effects, both positive and negative, which the project may have upon the quality of the natural and human environment. As NJDOT develops preliminary alternatives for the South Branch Parkway, it will assess the impacts of each specific design component and these web pages will keep you informed about the progress and results of each evaluation. So check back here often for updates.