What is now US 1 between Trenton and New Brunswick was originally chartered as the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike in 1803. Throughout its history, the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike faced stiff competition from canals such as the Delaware & Raritan Canal and railroads such as the Camden and Amboy Railroad. In the later part of the 19th century, the turnpike company folded and the Pennsylvania Railroad took over ownership of the turnpike. When the charter for the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike expired in 1903, it became a public road. When the first numbered highways were legislated in New Jersey in 1916, the present day US 1 between New Brunswick and Elizabeth was to become a part of Route 1, a route that was to connect Trenton and Elizabeth. Between Trenton and New Brunswick, this route was to follow present-day Route 33 and US 130. In 1922, an extension of Route 1 was legislated to continue north from Elizabeth to the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City.