Original US 9W in 1926 soon became multiplexed with NJSHR 1 in 1927 (which was dropped in 1953). It was also soon divided, with this being the NB lanes and the current 9W being the SB lanes. When the Palisades Interstate Pkwy. was extended northward into New York from a U-turn just south of current Exit 3, the cliffside-hugging US 9W NB lanes were cut off and turned into a rest area. US 9W was realigned to stay west of the PIP, and PIP Exit 3 was created with U-turns to allow full traffic flow between rest area, PIP, and 9W. Even more recently (in the 1980's), most of this alignment was abandoned from its original function serving a tolled picnic area up the path.


Heading up old US 9W until the old alignment splits from the rest area access road.


The opposite perspective, walking south from the rest area parking lot along the cliff.


Starting north on the old alignment along the cliff, where a jogging trail now starts and people use cliffside lookouts to view the Hudson River and New York.


That's quite a bit of centerline fade from 2004 (give or take a year) to 2013, but since we're talking 50% more years to weather from the 80s, maybe it's believable.


The jogging trail heads northward into the trees for a mile, rejoining current US 9W just south of the New York border. Toward the end, there are remnants of diagonal yellow stripes in the NB right lane. The PIP was built through here in the mid-1950s. Could this possibly be US 9W striping from that long ago?


Original details from US 9W: inlet (likely replaced at some point), cable guiderail (I could believe 1920s), a strangely patterned section of curb (from cleaning equipment? it appears surficial), and most importantly, original white striping that can be no newer than the 1960s. So maybe, just maybe, these paint flecks saw mainline traffic 60 years before I saw them.


Turned around at the state line, back to a turnoff toward the waterfront and a loop to head up the Giant Stairs. (You can't only head down giant stairs and call yourself an adventurer.)


Back from the Stairs and the NJ/NY border monument, ready to head the wrong way on US 9W back to the rest area.


Back south to the historic rest area/scenic pullout and a concrete joint that has kicked the bucket.

Over to current US 9W
Back to US 9W main page

Into New York on US 9W
Onto the Palisades Interstate Parkway
Hike the Palisades
Back to New Jersey Roads
Back to Roads