New Jersey Roads - NJ 440



NJ 440 is a road with an identity crisis. There are two NJ 440's, split by NY 440 through Staten Island. Staten Island geographically falls more within NJ than NY, but I'm not making a case to claim it. In any event, NJ 440 crosses the Outerbridge to the south and the stunning Bayonne Bridge to the north, taking CR 501 with it in both cases. Like NJ 440, CR 501 disappears at the border and then magically reappears, but there is no NY 501 or Richmond County 501 for continuity.
440 is a confused highway. It starts as an extension of I-287 in Edison, continuing as a full freeway into NY, making the change of designation that happens over the NJ Turnpike somewhat arbitrary. Long ago, I-95 was planned to follow I-287 onto the Turnpike at this interchange, which was somewhat more logical. In Bayonne, the NJ 440 freeway between the bridge and the end of the existing expressway (underneath I-78 but with no connection at that point) was never built, so 440 follows what once was NJ 169 - in many cases, 440 shields simply replaced 169 shields on BGS's. At the end of the expressway, the former NJ 169 junction, there was until recently a loop ramp exit from 440 SB to 169 SB that all traffic had to follow (would have been a trumpet); recent work has straightened the highway out so that both sides dip in a U shape underneath I-78 (part of former 169 ran E-W just to the north of I-78).
The first 440 shield on the top of the page, on Middlesex CR 616 WB (New Brunswick Avenue), has since been replaced. The second one, on Amboy Ave. SB at Grove St. EB (the continuation of Pfeiffer Blvd. as the NB frontage road), is courtesy Scott Colbert.

Southern NJ 440
Northern NJ 440


NJ 185 was intended to extend northward for several miles as an expressway, with actually good-looking and smooth-flowing access to port areas, industry, and Liberty State Park, before tying in to more residential areas to the north. Instead, judging from traffic volumes, I think the state just didn't care; the neighborhoods certainly aren't popular enough to warrant a great connection, though such a highway would doubtless have helped them. The shield at top is the only reassurance in either direction on NJ 185, and is an error (2-digit width).
Interesting information: There was once a NJ 85 freeway proposed between the two Hudson River tunnels (link goes to Steve Anderson's nycroads.com), and here is NJ 185 just a mile or two to the south - and theoretically the two could have even linked together! However, NJ 185 was only numbered that because NJ 184 had just been taken (by another 440-related road, no less), making the best coincidence of route numbering in New Jersey since US 1 multiplexed with NJ 1 north of the Tonnele Circle.

Into NY on NY 440
Onto CR 501
Onto NJ 184
The existing NJ 440 southern freeway on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
The unbuilt NJ 440 northern freeway on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
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