New Jersey Roads - US 22 - W. of I-78

US 22 west of I-78 multiplex



The free bridge between Easton, PA and Phillipsburg, NJ, that was once NJSHR 28/US 22.


The signals WB, strange in that red is to the right of green. Of course, all lanes can be closed if needed, and the leftmost lane is always off limits.


From the free bridge, the current US 22 toll bridge. This would have been I-78 had NJ been able to upgrade the three miles of US 22 between here and I-78, eliminating traffic lights and businesses. With Phillipsburg's and Pohatcong's livelihoods in the balance, that upgrade never came about, and the hopelessly substandard US 22 freeway in Easton lost its chance at being I-78. Most of the rest of US 22 could have still been I-78 with a proposal to only break off at West Easton, PA, instead of the full southern bypass of Allentown and Bethlehem that came about. The current alignment of 78 is much more suited to the traffic generated by development since then, anyway, since it combines more capacity with being a separate road (meaning that there are at minimum four lanes in each direction between 78 and 22, versus just the limits of one corridor).


More views of the US 22 bridge from Phillipsburg's Main Street.


On the WB toll bridge approach, just after the toll, reminding you just what the keystone shape means.


But I took that photo from the last exit in New Jersey, where I continued straight (first photo - Hillcrest Blvd.) and then turned left toward the free bridge (second photo - Broad St.). When the toll bridge opened, the roads in the area were reconstructed in concrete; US 22 followed the divided highway down here, curving left to the old tollbooth (now part of a parking lot next to the new one), then tying into the bridge at the curve just to the east. The proof is that the name Memorial Parkway, US 22 west of NJ 57, follows Hillcrest Boulevard to its end instead of using the new bridge. This image, courtesy SPUI, shows the various routings of US 22, and why Morris Street, which continues straight from Memorial Pkwy. at the bridge, was never part of 22. (22 or its Alternate always followed NJSHR 28, and NJSHR 24 is now mostly NJ 57.) There are still stubs for Main St. NB: one where it bore right at an entrance to the toll plaza parking lot, and one across from what is now the beginning of N. Main St. That's why Main and N. Main are so far apart now.


Courtesy SPUI, these signs were once located on 3rd St./Hillcrest Blvd. at the last entrance to the toll plaza. The EB sign is notable for button copy, and the WB sign is notable for including I-78. I-78 was removed from the PA side of US 22 in the 1970's when it was clear the freeway would never be completed into New Jersey.


Here's the best you can get at 3rd St. now. The U-turn is the end of the old road at the bridge onramp.


Turn right at 3rd St. to see this 1670 sign at Broad St.


Former Alt. US 22, now just South Main St. in Phillipsburg, looking northwest at the old bridge.


Looking south from the old bridge at other old bridges crossing the Delaware - rail bridges. There's a through truss and then twin underdeck truss bridges behind that.


The Phillipsburg waterfront, at the confluence of old US 22 and another old 22. From this vantage point, the original free bridge is to the right and the original 22 is straight ahead. Shortly after it was designated, US 22 was moved onto the completed Phillipsburg bypass (NJSHR 24 and 24-28 Link, the original 22 being part of 28; current 24 and 28 are related to those original roads). For awhile, the original road was Alternate 22, and the new 22 came in behind me from the bypass, then turning onto the free bridge. Later than that, the toll bridge was constructed, and the section of highway between there and where I took this photo was de-designated. In 1993 or so, Alternate 22 was in turn removed, and the eastern part replaced with NJ 122. From all the directions of highways that ever passed in front of these houses, there's nothing left now but a few people who know how to skip out on paying a dollar.


Former Alternate US 22 WB under and over some railroads into downtown Phillipsburg.


Eastbound at the beginning of NJ 57, which was once NJ 24 all the way to Morristown. Click on the second photo for a closeup. It's interesting that US 22 is signed as exiting from itself; while the 22-57 movement mirrors the original state highway (US 22/NJSHR 28 followed what is now NJ 122 and was Alternate US 22), it's certainly not overwhelmingly the through movement, and much more traffic is following 22.


WB in Phillipsburg, at a Warren County route that should be proud of its county and not hide the name. There seems to be a lot more to the right than the left - but are they not both in 600 feet?


The next street east has different problems. I get squeezing the sign blade font to fit in size constraints, but the shield? That's a tragedy.


Back to US 22, EB. The I-78 shield is on the left side of the highway at the first BGS. The US 173 error has since snuck in.


The US 122 error has also since snuck in, to the first sign in the previous run. The old shield didn't even need replacement!


This abandoned driveway connector is right by the second NJ 122 sign above, on the EB side of US 22. Abandoned driveways aren't amazingly special, but brand-new STOP and DO NOT ENTER signs erected at the end of a glorified sidewalk merit inclusion here. Notice the stop bar.


WB exiting I-78, starting at the merge with NJ 173 (old US 22). The overhead sign misleadingly hints that NJ 122 continues to the right, which is just a shopping center.


The original look of the jughandle gore sign was slightly different, courtesy David Greenberger in 2000. Before PA 33 was extended to I-78, it ended at US 22 and traffic heading there had to go the slow way through Phillipsburg.


EB just past NJ 122 and then onto the ramp where US 22 joins I-78 for 15 miles. I-78 was upgraded on the spot from US 22 for much of this length, leaving NJ 173 behind as a two-lane remnant and frontage road.

Continue east on US 22/I-78 EB
Continue east on US 22/I-78 WB
Skip I-78 to eastern US 22

Onto NJ 122, old US 22
Onto NJ 173, old US 22
Back to US 22 main page

Into Pennsylvania on US 22
To PA 33
Onto NJ 57
Onto CR 519
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