NJ 495 used to be I-495, in hopes that it would connect with a full freeway between the Lincoln and Queens-Midtown Tunnels to I-495 in New York. Once that didn't happen, all the shields on the freeway were replaced. Except one, on the ramp from the NJ Turnpike NB, which is truly the beginning of NJ 495. The BGS that has that shield is the next one below. Anyway, there are two significant characteristics of NJ 495. One is that it's practically always either on a viaduct or sunk into bedrock, and the bedrocked portions have narrow lanes, no shoulders, and frequent overpasses. The other is the helix, pictured above from below (in NJ) and the High Line (in NY), which is desperately in need of replacement, as repair would probably be almost as expensive and disruptive. The helix drops motorists a couple hundred feet from the top of Weehawken to the bottom, passing motorists over the Lincoln Tunnel before taking them through it.

NJ 495 EB

NJ 495 WB


The cliffside of Weehawken, seen while dropping down the helix into the Tunnel.


The Port Authority has reclaimed their sign, but others like it remain in the wild.

Into New York on 495 (through the Lincoln Tunnel)
To NJ 3
To US 1-9
Onto the NJ Turnpike (Easterly Alignment)
To US 46
To I-80
See more of Hudson County
NJ 495 on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
The Lincoln Tunnel on nycroads.com
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