Somerville Circle

The Somerville Circle is a roundabout located on the border of Bridgewater Township and Raritan, in Somerset County, New Jersey in the United States. The circle lies at the intersection of U.S. Routes 202 and 206, and New Jersey Route 28. The circle was built in the 1930s when the area was rural, but as the region became more populated the circle became notorious for being confusing for drivers and a frequent spot for traffic accidents and traffic backups. In the 1990s, a bridge was built that allowed Route 202 to bypass the circle completely. The Somerville Circle is no longer officially considered a traffic circle by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The Somerville Circle joins U.S. Routes 202 and 206, and New Jersey Route 28. A bridge over the circle allows Route 202 to bypass the intersecting roads. Ever since the bridge was built in the 1990s, the New Jersey Department of Transportation no longer considers the Somerville Circle a traffic circle, but the intersection still contains a 360 degree loop, interrupted on one side with traffic lights. According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the circle averages 11,786 vehicles a day. The Somerville Circle is located on the border between Bridgewater Township and Raritan, New Jersey, just slightly northwest of Somerville. The border runs down Route 28 with Raritan having a slightly larger portion of the circle within its borders. The border bisecting the circle usually causes minor confusion when accidents are reported as drivers are often not sure what side of the border they are on and which town's police department has jurisdiction. More traffic accidents occur on the Raritan side of the circle than the Bridgewater side. In the late 1920s New Jersey was planning a series of highways to allow out of state traffic to bypass towns and called for counties in the state to build and maintain another series of roads for local traffic. Routes 202 and 206 were part of this plan and the design called for them to intersect west of Somerville at New Jersey Route 28.