NJ’s least favorite roadways: No. 4 - Route 1

The Middlesex County portion of Route 1 - which is full of shopping malls, stores and traffic lights - is one of the most dangerous in the state.

Tom Krosnowski

Oct 27, 2025, 10:44 AM

Updated 3 hr ago

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New Jersey is full of highways, and some are a smoother drive than others. News 12 ran a poll in August asking followers their least favorite roads to drive in New Jersey. Coming in at No. 4 is Route 1.
Drivers can take Route 1 all the way from the Canadian border in Fort Kent, Maine, to the southernmost point in Key West, Florida, in about 40 hours. Along the way, they’d pass through New Jersey, where it's a part of many people's frustrating daily commutes.
Right by Woodbridge Center mall, Route 1 merges with Route 9 to begin a stretch of highway known as Route 1-9. It includes the approach to Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as the Pulaski Skyway and George Washington Bridge.
The Middlesex County portion of Route 1 - which is full of shopping malls, stores and traffic lights - is one of the most dangerous in the state.
The prosecutor's office launched the Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative earlier this year, citing increased traffic deaths. Funded by state grants, the county uses data to increase police presence in problem spots and to target areas for infrastructure improvements.
The only financial tolls for driving Route 1 in New Jersey come when exiting to Pennsylvania or New York. But those who drive it daily say there is a mental toll, which earns Route 1 fourth place in our poll of New Jersey's least favorite roadways.