UNION TRANSPORTATION TRAIL

The Union Transportation Trail, being developed by the Monmouth County Parks System, is running in the old right-of-way of what was originally known as the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad. The Crosswicks-Doctors Creek Watershed Association ultimately plans to integrate this trail with the Doctors Creek to Assunpink Trail which would extend from the Assunpink WMA in Millstone Township, through the northern tier of Upper Freehold Township (through Clayton Park, Imlaystown, and Imlaystown Lake), to Allentown (Conine's Mill Pond, the spillway at the Old Mill, and Heritage Park's southern perimeter), into Hamilton (Mercer County) where it would join up with the Crosswicks Creek trail near Groveville. This project of the Monmouth County Parks System will be completed in several phases.

RELATING TO THE CROSSWICKS WATERSHED

The Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad right-of-way crosses branches and tributaries in the Crosswicks Watershed. As the right-of-way enters Monmouth County in the southern portion of Upper Freehold Township known as Hornerstown near Millstream Road, it crosses the Lahaway Creek via a high wooden trestle which is still visible today. This trestle will be refurbished and renovated to allow trail traffic to pass over it. Continuing northward and parallel to CR-539, it has another minor passage over the Lahaway Creek, crosses Jonathan Holmes Road, and then continues for several miles to a point where it crosses the Doctors Creek a bit north of Davis Station Road. The remnant trestles that originally supported the rails over these water bodies are not suitable for repair and will be replaced by prefabricated steel bridges in order to allow trail traffic to continue unimpeded. (Above 3 photos courtesy of Walter F. Helfrecht.)