New Jersey Roads - North Ave., Elizabeth

North Avenue, Elizabeth


Through the mid-2010s closure of the Pulaski Skyway, signs like these appeared anywhere within striking distance of the road to maximize use of alternate routes. For example, exiting Elizabeth on North Ave., instead of turning left here onto US 1-9 NB, maybe a driver would go straight to NJ 81 and use the Turnpike to I-78. Even if they turn left, at least they know what they're in for. (More ampersands.)


A similar deal WB at US 1-9. This actually encourages you to go right into the local lanes, presumably to head back onto I-78.


This was the only reference to NJ 81 that existed anywhere outside of NJDOT's own little world until 2007 or so, on North Avenue signal overheads. You can see that it was replaced more recently and retains this error. NJ 81 was still unsigned at that point - Dowd Avenue may be signed as 81, but it's sure not the freeway. It was once NJ 164, but that died when 81 opened just after my X and Y chromosomes met.


EB past Dowd Ave. to enter NJ 81 SB to Turnpike Interchange 13A. The latter sign is for NORTH AVENUE EAST, ELIZABETH SEAPORT; the rightmost lane is involved in a U-turn ramp. The first sign is just as old as the BGS's on US 1-9 SB at the beginning of NJ 81 - in fact, all of the BGS's on and around NJ 81 are probably from when it was constructed. Click on it for a closeup, and check out the NJ 81 link at bottom for more. The sign assembly for the NJ Turnpike is cool because it has that little circular arrow.


Bearing right at the first sign assembly (photo courtesy HNTB Corporation) merges you with NJ 81 shortly before it splits to US 1-9 NB and SB - so technically you could just follow that ramp to 1-9 SB, instead of following North Avenue WB to the left, underneath 81, and essentially U-turning at Dowd Avenue.

Continue west on North Ave. onto NJ 439
Continue east to Port Newark
Onto US 1-9
Onto Dowd Ave.
Onto NJ 81
To I-95, the NJ Turnpike
See more of Elizabeth
Into Union County
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