Interstate 95 in New Jersey
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Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Maine to Florida. In the state of New Jersey, it runs along much of the main line of the New Jersey Turnpike, as well as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension (formerly known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Connector) and the Turnpike's northern continuation to the George Washington Bridge, also maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, for a total of 77.96 miles (125.46 km), accounting for less than 5% out of the 1,927 mi (3,101 km) length of the entire highway. The 11.03-mile (17.75 km) Western Spur of the Turnpike, considered to be Route 95W by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, is also part of I-95. Through traffic is normally directed to take the Western Spur as opposed to the slightly longer 11.4-mile (18.3 km) section of the older main line.
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[edit] The I-95 gap
Interstate 95 crosses the Hudson River via the George Washington Bridge from New York City, entering New Jersey in Fort Lee. A few miles later, Interstate 80 begins in Teaneck and heads west. Interstate 95 continues its south-west bound course. The New Jersey Turnpike begins at this point, and Interstate 95 runs concurrent to the New Jersey Turnpike. Originally, Interstate 95 was supposed to separate from the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison at the Interstate 287 interchange, where the route would then continue parallel to U.S. Route 1, continuing into Mercer County in Hopewell Township and then entering Pennsylvania. However, environmental concerns, as well as other conflicts, prevented this stretch from being built. This connection would have been known as the Somerset Freeway, and was cancelled in 1982. At the present time, the NJDOT has numbered I-95 (8.8 miles north of Trenton) as Route 95M.
In 1985, it was proposed to finally complete I-95 by constructing an interchange in Bucks County, Pennsylvania between the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 276 and Interstate 95. This would allow Interstate 95 to continue eastbound from there to the New Jersey Turnpike, finally joining the two sections. This is referred to as the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project. In anticipation of the project, the northern section of I-95 was extended down the New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 6, and along the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension to the Pennsylvania state line on the Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge, where it becomes Interstate 276. Despite this legislative extension, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension is not signed as I-95, as it does not yet connect to I-95 in Pennsylvania; the mainline of the New Jersey Turnpike only received I-95 signage in 1997.
Southbound I-95 traffic headed to Delaware is directed to continue south on the Turnpike and use the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Traffic headed to Philadelphia or the Pennsylvania section of I-95 is instructed to use Exit 7A to I-195 as referenced above. The same is done in reverse: through traffic on I-95 near Wilmington, Delaware is pointed to New York City via the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the entire Turnpike; traffic from Pennsylvania and Trenton is directed via I-295 and I-195.
[edit] Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.
[edit] Spur routes
- Interstate 195 begins at I-295 southeast of Trenton and runs east, crossing I-95 (the New Jersey Turnpike) at exit 7A, and continuing to Route 34 near Belmar. Its main purpose is a route to the Jersey Shore.
- Interstate 295 begins at I-95 south of Wilmington, Delaware and crosses the Delaware Memorial Bridge into New Jersey. It then parallels the Turnpike, crossing I-95 without an interchange near Burlington. Southeast of Trenton it intersects with I-195, and then continues to end at U.S. Route 1 northeast of Trenton, where the Mercer County section of I-95 presently ends.
- Interstate 495 was assigned to what is now NJ 495, a spur from the New Jersey Turnpike at exit 16E east to the Lincoln Tunnel. It was renumbered because the Mid-Manhattan Expressway across Manhattan, which would have connected to New York's Interstate 495, was cancelled.
- Interstate 695 was to be a short connection between the Somerset Freeway and Interstate 287 northwest of New Brunswick.
- Interstate 895 would have provided a freeway between I-295 near Burlington and I-95 near Bristol, Pennsylvania, replacing the Burlington-Bristol Bridge. This would have completed the partial beltway around Trenton formed by I-95 and I-295.
[edit] History
The New Jersey State Highway Department proposed Federal Aid Interstate Route 103 in 1956, and it was approved in 1957 by the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR). At that time, the New Jersey Turnpike (main line and Pennsylvania Extension) and George Washington Bridge had been completed; U.S. Route 46 connected the north end of the Turnpike to the bridge. The BPR approved the planned alignment north of the Trenton area, which would have run generally northeast to exit 8 (Route 18) of the Turnpike. From there it would use the Turnpike to its north end (exit 18, US 46) and a proposed freeway north to the planned Interstate 80, then head east to the George Washington Bridge. The road was designated as part of Interstate 95 in 1959.
However, the location in the Trenton area had not been finalized. The BPR preferred using the Trenton Freeway (U.S. Route 1 and Route 174), which was completed to Whitehead Road, but New Jersey and Pennsylvania proposed using the Scudders Falls Bridge and its approach (Route 129), opened in 1961 to Scotch Road (exit 3), due in part to low design standards of the Trenton Freeway.
A new plan was approved by the BPR in March 1964, running further west in and north of the Trenton area. From Pennsylvania it would use the Scudders Falls Bridge, continuing northeast on what was called the Somerset Freeway to the planned Interstate 287 near present exit 4 (Durham Avenue), and then running east on I-287 to the Turnpike at exit 10. A completely free alignment into North Jersey, closely paralleling the Turnpike, was denied by the BPR. That same year, the first new section of I-95 opened as part of the Interstate 80 project, from I-80 east to the bridge, though it did not form part of the through route until the connection from the Turnpike opened in 1971. The Western Spur of the Turnpike opened in 1970, providing an alternate route north of Newark.
The approach to the Scudders Falls Bridge was extended in 1974, northeast to the planned interchange with the Somerset Freeway, and then east to U.S. Route 1 as Interstate 295.
The Somerset Freeway was opposed locally, and in December 1982 the United States Senate cancelled it. I-95 would continue south over the New Jersey Turnpike and its Pennsylvania Extension, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project would connect it to Pennsylvania's section of I-95. In 1995, the I-95 designation was extended north (compass east) along I-295 north of Trenton to U.S. Route 1, where I-295 now begins.
In 1992 the New Jersey Department of Transportation transferred the section of I-95 north of the Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
[edit] Exit list
| Exit # | Mile | Municipality | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.07 | Ewing Township | Image:New Jersey 29.svg NJ 29 – Trenton/Lambertville | |
| 2 | 1.56 | Ewing Township | Image:County 579.svg CR 579 – West Trenton/Trenton-Mercer Airport | |
| 3 | 2.83 | Hopewell Township (Mercer County) | Scotch Road | split into exits 3A and 3B northbound |
| 4 | 4.24 | Hopewell Township (Mercer County) | Image:New Jersey 31.svg NJ 31 – Ewing Twp/Pennington | formerly split into exits 4A and 4B northbound |
| 5 | 5.64 | Lawrence Township (Mercer County) | Federal City Road | southbound only; split into exits 5A and 5B; originally I-295 exit 71 |
| 7 | 7.11 | Lawrence Twp | Image:US 206.svg US 206 - Trenton/Lawrenceville/Princeton | split into exits 7A and 7B; originally I-295 exit 69 |
| 8 | 8.12 | Lawrence Twp (Mercer County) | Image:County 583.svg CR 583 – Princeton Pike | split into exits 8A and 8B; originally I-295 exit 68; northbound exit 8A is CR 546 east to CR 583 south |
| 67 | 8.93 | Lawrence Township | Image:US 1.svg US 1 - New Brunswick/Trenton | split into exits 67A and 67B southbound (northbound I-295) |
| <center> End Image:I-95.svg Interstate 95 at Junction Image:US 1.svg U.S. 1 Continues as Image:I-295.svg I-295 | ||||
| Exit # | Mile | Municipality | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begin Interstate 95 at Pennsylvania state line Continues as Image:I-276.svg I-276 / Pennsylvania Turnpike | |||||
| 6A | 2.61 | Florence Twp | Image:US 130.svg US 130 - Burlington/Florence Twp/Bordentown | toll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance formerly exit 6A for Cedar Lane, with northbound exit and southbound entrance only, until 1999 | |
| ~3.17 | Florence Twp | Toll Plaza | Originally at mile 1.3 until ca. 1999; Toll gate equipped with E-ZPass Express | ||
| 6 | 6.55 | Mansfield Township | Image:New Jersey Turnpike shield.png New Jersey Turnpike SOUTH - Camden/Delaware | ||
| 7 | 7.95 | Bordentown Twp | Image:US 206.svg US 206 - Bordentown/Trenton | ||
| 7A | 15.15 | Washington Township (Mercer County) | Image:I-195.svg I-195 - Trenton/Shore Points | To Six Flags Great Adventure and Image:I-295.svg I-295 | |
| 8 | 22.21 | East Windsor Township | Image:New Jersey 33.svg NJ 33 – Hightstown/Freehold | To Shore Points | |
| DIVIDE/ MERGE | 27.39 | Cranbury Twp/Monroe Township | Turnpike Divides/Merges Turnpike Division (inner roadway & outer roadway) continues between mileposts 27.39 & 60.75 | ||
| 8A | 28.51 | Monroe Township [Middlesex Co.] | Image:New Jersey 32.svg NJ 32 – Jamesburg/Cranbury | To Princeton and Shore Points | |
| 9 | 38.07 | East Brunswick Township | Image:New Jersey 18.svgImage:US 1.svg NJ 18/US 1 - New Brunswick/East Brunswick | To Princeton and "Shore Points" | |
| 10 | 42.73 | Edison Township | Image:I-287.svgImage:New Jersey 440.svg I-287/NJ 440 - Perth Amboy/Metuchen/Edison | dual-dual configuration originally started here in 1966; was extended to East Brunswick in 1973 | |
| 11 | 45.65 | Woodbridge Township | Image:US 9.svgImage:Garden State Parkway shield.png US 9/Garden State Parkway - Woodbridge Township | use 11 to go to "Shore Points" | |
| 12 | 50.53 | Boro of Carteret | Image:Middlesex County Route 602 NJ.svg CR 602 – Carteret/Rahway | ||
| 13 | 53.75 | City of Elizabeth | Image:I-278.svg I-278 - Elizabeth/Goethals Bridge/Verrazano Bridge | ||
| 13A | 56.19 | City of Elizabeth | Image:New Jersey 81.svg NJ 81 – Elizabeth/Newark Airport/Elizabeth Seaport | ||
| 14-14A-14B-14C | 59.50 | City of Newark | Image:I-78.svgImage:US 1-9.svgImage:US 22.svg I-78/US 1-9/US 22 - Newark Airport/Holland Tunnel | ||
| n/a | 60.75 | City of Newark | Split of Eastern and Western Spurs | ||
| 15E | 61.52 (Eastern) & 1.15 (Western) | City of Newark | Image:Truck plate.svg Image:US 1-9.svg US 1/9 TRUCK – Newark/Jersey City | no northbound exit on Western Spur; use Eastern Spur | |
| 15W | 63.18E & 3.08W | Town of Kearny | Image:I-280.svg I-280 - Newark/Kearny | complete access on Western Spur, northbound entrance & southbound exit | |
| 15X | 65.39 | Town of Secaucus | Secaucus Junction | on Eastern Roadway | |
| 16E | 67.23 | Town of Secaucus | Image:New Jersey 3.svgImage:New Jersey 495.svg NJ 3/NJ 495 - Lincoln Tunnel (Toll Plaza) | on Eastern Spur | |
| 18E | 67.23 | Town of Secaucus | Image:US 46.svgImage:I-80.svg I-80/US 46 – George Washington Bridge (Toll Plaza) | on Eastern Roadway | |
| 16W | 7.02 | Boro of East Rutherford | Image:New Jersey 3.svg NJ 3 - Secaucus/Rutherford/Lincoln Tunnel | ||
| 18W | 8.06 | Boro of Carlstadt | Image:US 46.svgImage:I-80.svg US 46/I-80 – George Washington Bridge (Toll Plaza) | Toll plaza equipped with E-ZPass Express | |
| n/a | 8.72 | Carlstadt | Meadowlands Sports Complex (open only during Complex events) | no northbound exit (use exit 18W) | |
| 68 | Village of Ridgefield Park | Image:US 46.svg US 46 - The Ridgefields/Palisades Park | exit number only signed southbound | ||
| 68 | 72.31 | Village of Ridgefield Park | Challenger Road | exit is separate from the US 46 exit northbound only former exit 68A | |
| splits into local and express lanes north of here | |||||
| 70 | 73.59 | Teaneck Township | Image:I-80.svg I-80 west to Garden State Parkway - Hackensack/Paterson | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
| 70 | 74.1 | Teaneck Twp | Leonia/Teaneck | local only; exits 70A-B northbound | |
| 71 | Boro of Leonia | Broad Avenue - Leonia/Englewood | northbound exit and southbound entrance; local only | ||
| 72 | Boro of Fort Lee | Image:US 9W.svgImage:Palisades Interstate Pkwy.svg US 9W/Palisades Parkway - Fort Lee | northbound exit and southbound entrance; local only | ||
| 72A | 76.2 & 76.53 | Boro of Fort Lee | Image:New Jersey 4.svg NJ 4 west - Paramus | southbound exit and northbound entrance; serves local and express lanes but numbered only on local lanes | |
| 72B | Boro of Fort Lee | Image:US 1.svgImage:US 9.svgImage:US 46.svg US 1/US 9/US 46 - Palisades Park | southbound exit and northbound entrance; serves local and express lanes | ||
| 73-74 | Boro of Fort Lee | Image:US 9W.svg US 9W to Image:New Jersey 67.svg NJ 67 - Fort Lee/Palisades Interstate Parkway | southbound exit and northbound entrance; local only | ||
| 73 | Boro of Fort Lee | Image:New Jersey 67.svgImage:US 9W.svg NJ 67/US 9W - Fort Lee | full access to express lanes; northbound exit only on local lanes | ||
| Boro of Fort Lee | George Washington Bridge Toll Gate | northbound only | |||
| Boro of Fort Lee | Image:Palisades Interstate Pkwy.svg Palisades Parkway | southbound exit and northbound entrance; express only | |||
| <center>Image:I-95.svg I-95 continues into New York on the George Washington Bridge | |||||
[edit] References
- I-95, N.J. Turnpike straight line diagram (PDF)
- I-95 (north of Trenton) straight line diagram (PDF)
- I-95, N.J. Turnpike - West Alignment straight line diagram (PDF)
- An enlarged view of road jurisdiction at the Fort Lee approaches to the George Washington Bridge
- History of the Interstate 95 "Missing Link" of central New Jersey
- The Roads of Metro New York - New Jersey Turnpike (I-95)
- The Roads of Metro New York - Interstate 95 (Trenton Section)
| Preceded by: Pennsylvania | Interstate 95 New Jersey | Succeeded by: New York |
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| < Image:New Jersey 94.svg NJ 94 | NJ | NJ 100 Image:New Jersey 100.svg > | ||
