Edison Police will shut down a half-mile stretch of Plainfield Avenue, near Routes 27 and 1
U. S. President Barack Obama speaks about legislation to help small business in the Rose Garden of the White House on July 27.EDISON — Some might say the intersection of Plainfield Avenue and Route 27 in Edison is so congested not even the president could fix it. In fact, President Obama is only likely to make things worse.
Edison police are planning to shut down a more than half-mile stretch of Plainfield Avenue for the president’s visit this afternoon, though they don’t know just when the closure will start or how long it will last. Officials suggest motorists avoid the south end of the township altogether today.
Likewise, travelers should expect delays at Newark Liberty International, where President Obama is due to arrive shortly before 1 p.m. before heading to Edison’s popular Tastee Sub Shop for a roundtable discussion with small business owners at 1:30 p.m.
Avoiding the presidential gridlock may not be easy. The Tastee Sub Shop is located on Plainfield Avenue, between Routes 27 and 1, an area surrounded by strip malls and eateries — and lots of traffic.
"Just coming here daily, it takes 30 minutes to come up the block," Nanesh Patel, a local salesman, said Tuesday while waiting in line at Tastee.
Today, all that traffic will be diverted elsewhere. Edison officials said controlling it won’t be a problem: There will be detours in place and extra patrol officers on duty, authorities said.
"It is congested, it is busy," Mayor Antonia Ricigliano said. "But it’s not anything we can’t handle."
At Newark Liberty, travelers should brace delays. Any time the president flies into an airport, air space is frozen temporarily, and runway ramps are frozen after landing.
"Any time we have a VIP arrival or departure, we strive to manage the operation tactically, in coordination with all the agencies involved," said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. "That means we try to minimize the delays for travellers."
Though past presidential motorcades have halted highway traffic surrounding the airport, officials say that won’t be the case today. Sgt. Steve Jones, a spokesman for the State Police, said roads will remain open because Obama will ride a helicopter between the airport and Edison.
"Our understanding is, we’re subject to possible closures as the helicopter travels overhead," Jones said. "But we have no plan in place. Nothing was given to us, and we were told it shouldn’t disrupt traffic."
"It won’t be that bad," Bryan said of Obama’s visit.
Residents, however, aren’t as optimistic.
"It’s going to be a nightmare," said Kim Johnson, who works in the area. "I expect at least an hour delay."
Others fear the closure will cause traffic to swell on surrounding highways, like Route 1 and Interstate 287.
Though only a few people will be allowed inside the sub shop for the president’s visit — even the mayor wasn’t invited — spectators are also expected to swell the area. Tuesday alone, dozens of people
By Brent Johnson and Steve Strunsky/The Star-Ledger
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