Based on the concerns of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the New Jersey Highway Department, a new proposal known as the "North Jersey Expressway" was made in 1964. It involved moving the entire I-95 corridor in New Jersey 3 to 10 miles west of its previous location. From Trenton northwards to the Middlesex Freeway (I-287), I-95 now utilized the new Scudders Falls Bridge (then NJ 129) over the Delaware River instead of the Trenton Freeway (US 1), and then continued northward 5 to 10 miles west of the Trenton-New Brunswick Turnpike (US 1) and the New Brunswick-Metuchen Bypass (US 1). Close to the Middlesex Freeway (I-287), it jumped eastward by about 5 miles, but remained west of the Edgar Road Extension (US 1&9). It continued north of the Middlesex Freeway (I-287) approximately 3 to 5 miles west of Edgar Road (US 1&9), the Pulaski Skyway (US 1&9), and Tonelle Avenue (US 1&9), passing through the downtown areas of Elizabeth and Newark before meeting the end of the New Jersey Turnpike (then NJ 700) just south of the Bergen-Passaic Expressway (I-80 and I-95). While the turnpike authority pushed the road further west of the turnpike in central New Jersey as it had hoped to, I-95 was no longer part of the turnpike in northern New Jersey. This reversed the 1957 change and again posed a serious threat to its toll revenue capabilities. At the same time, the proposal of constructing a large freeway through sections of Elizabeth, Newark, and many other nearby developed communites was a threat to an unprecedented amount of private residences and businesses. Both concerns ensured that the "North Jersey Expressway" proposal would not survive very long. By this time, the Bergen-Passaic Expressway (I-80 and I-95) between the George Wasington Bridge (I-95) and the proposed "North Jersey Expressway" junction was completed. It was the first section of freeway in New Jersey which was built as part of I-95 and not under another designation.

Because of the concerns of northern New Jersey property owners and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, a new proposal for I-95 known as the "Somerset Freeway" was developed by 1972. The entire section of proposed I-95 (as part of the "North Jersey Expressway" proposal) north of the Middlesex Freeway (I-287) was cancelled. Instead, I-95 joined the Middlesex Freeway (I-287), thereby truncating the I-287 designation by 5 miles. It continued east to join the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 10, where it then continued north as the New Jersey Turnpike, thus returning to the 1957 proposal. South of the Middlesex Freeway (I-287), the route of what was now the "Somerset Freeway" remained nearly identical to the one proposed in 1964, except that the section which passed through Princeton Township had been protested. It had now been realigned further west into Hopewell Township.



The "Somerset Freeway" now became a target for heavy protest from the local residents of Hopewell, Princeton, and Montgomery Townships in the southern section of its proposed alignment. Residents believed that the freeway would bring unprecedented development to what was then still a rural farming area, thereby destroying the rural character of the region. Additionally, it was feared that a large amount of traffic would use the freeway to bypass the tolled New Jersey Turnpike (then NJ 700) and the arterial New Brunswick-Metuchen Bypass (US 1) and Trenton-New Brunswick Turnpike (US 1), resulting in greatly increased air pollution along the freeway corridor. There were also several historic districts along the route which could have potentially been disturbed by the freeway's construction. Finally, residents near the freeway alignment's northern end in Piscataway Township believed the freeway would destroy the local neighborhoods which it was proposed to pass through. All of these concerns would eventually have an effect, but some would affect the road sooner than others.



By this time, several more sections of the unbuilt I-95 corridor had been constructed as part of I-95 itself (and not under another designation). The New Jersey Department of Transportation had recently completed the New Jersey Turnpike Northern Extension (I-95), which finally connected the New Jersey Turnpike's original terminus at Winant Avenue (US 46) with the Bergen-Passaic Expressway (I-80 and I-95). This created a full freeway route between the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and the George Washington Bridge (I-95) for the first time. Additionally, the NJDOT had also completed the Middlesex Freeway Extension (then I-95 and NJ 440), which finally connected the Middlesex Freeway (then I-95) with the New Jersey Turnpike (then NJ 700 and I-95). The New Jersey Turnpike Authority had also doubled the capacity of the section of the turnpike which was designated as part of I-95, through the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur (I-95) in the north and through the construction of the dual-dual car/truck roadway configuration between the end of the Western Spur and Exit 10.









By 1979, the I-95 "Somerset Freeway" proposal had been forced out of Piscataway Township due to resident complaints, and had been realigned to connect to the Middlesex Freeway (I-287) while still within Somerset County. Otherwise the general route remained unchanged from 1972.



The final work on the I-95 alignment that was completed before the "Somerset Freeway" was cancelled included the completion of the Scudders Falls Expressway (I-95) directly southwest of the freeway's proposed southern terminus, and the section of the Camden Freeway (then I-295) directly southeast of the freeway's proposed southern terminus. This work included the creation of a 'ghost interchange' with unbuilt ramps at the proposed I-95/I-295 junction in southeastern Hopewell Township.



By this time, local protests against the "Somerset Freeway" had become regional protests and were backed by regional officials. The New Jersey Department of Transportation gradually became convinced of their inability to complete I-95 through New Jersey as planned.



This was the final proposal of I-95 through west central New Jersey.







