New Jersey Roads - NJ 81

NJ 81

NJ 81 is the once-unsigned freeway that links the NJ Turnpike at Exit 13A (was constructed well after the Turnpike opened) with US 1-9. Each refers to NJ 81 as leading to the other one, and that's about it. There are exits for Dowd and North Avenues off of NJ 81, so check out the North Ave. page linked at bottom. NJ 81 was initially supposed to use Exit 13 along with I-278, and there are some ghost ramps there from where 81 would have tied in, but there is no ghost alignment of 81 at its current terminus.


Unsigned, you say? As of 2008, forget unsigned. There's a BEGIN at either end of the highway, even if there aren't any reassurances on the short freeway, and at least a SB "END" if not a NB one as well. The first photo is courtesy Adam Moss.


Signage on NJ 81 NB (which equates more to WB than NB, but the main flow of traffic is between two NB-SB roads). The 1-9 SB ramp is probably overpowered, since traffic on 81 is largely using it to get to Newark Airport, and Elizabeth traffic probably would use Turnpike Exit 13.


Follow traffic toward US 1-9 NB in the 2010s and you'd find these signs on the ramp during the 4-year Skyway rebuild that had the NB lanes closed as the SB side shifted around. It would be nice if the Turnpike NB had these signs as well so that traffic knew not to bother exiting to save on tolls.


NJ 81 SB, showing the same style of BGS as on every road around it, all dating to the road's opening in 1982. Notice how NJ 81 is signed completely by its destinations.


Newer SB photos are clearer but the shields have been replaced, so I'm keeping the old as well.


The sign at the base of the SB ramp to Dowd Street/North Ave. WB.


Left and right sides of a fairly standard Turnpike SB entrance sign, although the arrow placement is a little wonky. Enjoy the button copy while it lasts!

Onto I-95, the NJ Turnpike
Onto North Ave.
Onto Dowd Ave.
Onto US 1-9
To Newark Airport
To I-78
See more of Elizabeth
Into Union County
NJ 81 on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
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