Part freeway, part expressway, NJ 18 never lived up to its potential. Although its northern end was extended past NJ 27 in 1983, and is being extended again in 2004, 18 will not be upgraded in the non-freeway sections, and its southern end is stuck at Exit 6. At least the northern extension to I-287 is finally proceeding, but NJ 18's usefulness as a Central Jersey - Jersey Shore route can never be realized until the final few miles are pushed south, which is about as likely as the completion of the Eisenhower Parkway. Or even less likely - Eisenhower is being used as an ATV trail, but NJ 18's unused ROW is going to be formally converted into a bike path.


This is the merge from the former NJ 138 EB-18 NB ramp into the short mainline stub. Notice that unlike most stubs, this one is fully paved and striped. The only reason the lanes end in grass is because of the conversion of this interchange to a trumpet - EB-NB traffic now uses the former EB-SB ramp and curves around into the mainline.


DOT vehicles doing something at the southern end of the roadway.


You can see that the SB roadway clearly didn't get the same attention the NB one did. You can also see clearly where the new trumpet ramp cuts across the old highway.


Looking northward, I find it amusing that two lanes were grassed out, but the original merge lane for the EB-NB loop ramp not only exists (presumably for DOT access), but has lane stripes as if it were part of the freeway - in other words, it's treating the grass as another lane!

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Hope Rd. NB and SB, respectively, at NJ 18 Exit 13A, courtesy Scott Colbert.


East Brunswick goes the California way and gives block numbers on the street sign.


The SB onramp from George Street, and the end of NJ 172 SB (should really be EB, but since NJ 18 was changed over to N-S from originally being E-W, so was 172 I guess).


NJ 18 SB proceeds under a brief deck before meeting with the original freeway end at NJ 27. This deck represents years of engineering to find a way to extend NJ 18 toward I-287.


The beautiful train viaduct over NJ 18. You may have seen Lou Corsaro's name sprinkled about these pages (if not, scroll up); well, his great-great-grandfather helped build this viaduct, among many along the Northeast Corridor rail line in New Jersey, coming from Italy just for the construction and then returning.

NJ 18 NB
NJ 18 SB
New NJ 18 south of Hoes Lane
New NJ 18 around Hoes Lane


Past the tollbooth for I-95, the NJ Turnpike.

Exit 6 to NJ 138
Onto the NJ Turnpike
NJ 18 on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
Back to NJ Roads
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