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Old Bridge approves submission of truck‑route map to NJDOT to curb 18‑wheeler detours on residential streets
Summary
Council authorized submission of a municipal truck-route certification and map to NJDOT after residents described repeated 18‑wheeler detours (Phillips Drive, Poor Farm Road, White Oak Lane) that damaged utility poles and endangered pedestrians; if DOT approves, signs and enforceable municipal restrictions will follow.
Old Bridge Township voted June 23 to authorize staff to submit a municipal truck-route map and certification to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, a step officials say will allow police to enforce weight- and route-based restrictions on trucks that have been using residential streets as shortcuts.
Engineer and planning staff presenter Nicole Shapiro described a consultant-led study that identifies municipal roadways capable of carrying truck traffic and ties those routes to state and county highways. "We analyze the streets that are three streets...that can carry truck traffic" she said, explaining that DOT requires a certified map for municipal enforcement of truck-routing restrictions.
Why it matters: residents described recent incidents in which 18-wheelers used residential roadways as detours, sometimes striking utility poles and endangering pedestrians. Diana DeBrizzi, a Phillips Drive resident, told the council she observed tank wagons and 18-wheelers using Phillips Drive and noted a near-miss involving a child and a school on that route. Shapiro cited a recent incident where a truck took Phillips Drive and pulled down telecommunication cables and three utility poles.
Enforcement and timeline: without a DOT-certified map, local 4-ton signs are difficult for police to enforce, Shapiro said. If the council-authorized certification is accepted by DOT, municipal signage and inclusion in commercial routing databases (so truck GPS units and fleets will route around restricted municipal streets) will follow. Staff told the council they expect DOT review might take roughly six weeks but cautioned DOT may request changes.
Council direction: council members and the mayor supported the submission and discussed additional steps — working with neighboring municipalities on consistent end-points, installing targeted signage in identified problem locations (for example, at Cottrell and Route 9 approaches), and more police traffic enforcement. Councilman Rizzoli suggested exploring legislative changes to allow municipalities to build local weight-enforcement capacity; staff said weight enforcement teams are currently limited at the county/state level.
Outcome: council voted to move the certification and map forward; staff will submit signed originals to DOT. If DOT approves, the township will add recommended signage in affected problem areas and begin enforcement and targeted patrols.
