Site Navigation Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont     Interstate 280 New Jersey - East 08/11/04 photos taken by Carter Buchanan. 06/13/05 photos taken by Alex Nitzman / Justin Cozart. Interstate 280 East Interstate 280 New Jersey shield posted at the beginning of the Exit 47A off-ramp from the Interstate 80 mainline. Photo taken 06/13/05. Older style mileage sign listing the distances of Interstate 280 east: Orange 10 miles, Newark 12 miles, Kearny 16 miles. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 travels southeast along wetlands (Hatfield Swamp) from Interstate 80 into the Exit 1 partial-cloverleaf interchange with Edwards Road. Photo taken 06/13/05. Edwards Road travels south from Vail Road and U.S. 46 to Interstate 280 at Exit 1. Edwards Road provides an eastbound side frontage road from Exit 1 to Ridgedale Avenue in East Hanover. Northward Edwards Road intersects New Road south of its intersection with U.S. 46 at Pine Brook. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 descends from Morris County into Essex County ahead of its cloverleaf interchange with Eisenhower Parkway (Exits 4A/B). Photo taken 06/13/05. Eisenhower Parkway comprises a surface arterial southward from Interstate 280 Exit 4 to New Jersey 10 (Mount Pleasant Avenue) and Essex County 510 (South Orange Avenue). Truck traffic bound for New Jersey 24 is directed southward from Interstate 280 Exit 4A. Photo taken 08/11/04. Exit 4B departs Interstate 280 east for Eisenhower Parkway north. The divided highway dead ends one half mile to the north of Interstate 280 at an area of wetlands. Eisenhower Parkway was planned as a longer route including what was known as Triborough Road in Chatham and Florham Park.2 An abandoned cloverleaf interchange remains on the New Jersey 24 from its demise. Photo taken 06/13/05. Essex County 527 (Livingston Avenue) meets Interstate 280 at the Exit 5A/B cloverleaf interchange. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 5A serves interests to Livingston via Essex County 527 south. Essex County 527 is part of an overall 85.22 mile route between New Jersey 166 at Toms River and New jersey 23 in Cedar Grove. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 east enters Exit 4 with Essex County 527 (Livingston Avenue). The north-south highway travels south to Livingston onto John F. Kennedy Parkway to Short Hills and Chatham. The county route intersects New Jersey 10 (Mount Pleasant Avenue) in 1.1 miles. Photo taken 08/11/04. Eastbound at the Exit 5B loop ramp onto Essex County 527 northbound. Motorists using this ramp will reach Eagle Rock Avenue at Roseland within three quarters of a mile. From there Essex County 527 follows Roseland Avenue northward to Essex Fells, Caldwell, and North Caldwell. Connections with Essex County 506 (Bloomfield Avenue) and Passaic Avenue link the road with West Caldwell. Photo taken 08/11/04. Continuing east through a patch of woods from Exit 5 to Exit 6 on Interstate 280. Photo taken 06/13/05. Laurel Avenue stems east from McClellan Avenue and Shrewsbury Drive in Livingston to Interstate 280 at Exit 6. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 6 constitutes a six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with Laurel Avenue. Laurel Avenue heads east from Interstate 280 to Eagle Rock Avenue in West Orange. Photo taken 06/13/05. Pleasant Valley Way meets Interstate 280 at the next interchange (Exit 7) near West Orange. Interstate 280 descends dramatically from Second Watchung Mountain into Exit 6 before ascending again over First Watchung Mountain. Photos taken 06/13/05. Pleasant Valley Road travels north-south from Milburn through the South Mountain Reservation and Pleasantdale to Verona. A folded-diamond interchange joins the surface boulevard with Interstate 280 at Exit 7. Photo taken 08/11/04. Essex County 577 (Main Street) meets Interstate 280 at a six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange in West Orange. Pictured here is the Exit 8A off-ramp to Main Street south to New Jersey 10's eastern terminus nearby. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 8B loops onto Essex County 577 (Prospect Avenue) north. Essex County 577 continues from Eagle Rock Avenue in West Orange to junction Essex County 506 (Bloomfield Avenue) and New Jersey 23's southern terminus near Cedar Grove. Photo taken 06/13/05. Traveling through a rock cut over First Watchung Mountain on Interstate 280 east. Photos taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 curves southeastward toward the next West Orange interchange Mt. Pleasant Avenue (Exit 9). Photos taken 06/13/05. Exit 9 represents the transition of Interstate 280 into an urban freeway in West Orange. Connections with Main Street eventually lead drivers north to Montclair. Photo taken 06/13/05. Eastbound at Exit 9. Mount Pleasant Avenue becomes New Jersey 10 at its intersection with Essex County 577 (Prospect Avenue) south of Exit 8 and west of Exit 9. Otherwise Mount Pleasant Avenue becomes White Street to the east at its intersection with Main Street. Use Main Street northbound for Montclair. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 descends to below grade through the cities of Orange and Newark. Exit 11 ascends from the depressed freeway as Freeway Drive, an eastbound frontage road, for Essex Avenue and Center Street. The freeway varies between six and eight lanes through Orange. Photos taken 06/13/05. Exit 11 ascends from Interstate 280 east to Essex Avenue, Day Street, and Center Street for the central business district of Orange. Photos taken 06/13/05. Continuing east on Interstate 280 as Exit 11 meets Essex Avenue. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 12A connects Interstate 280 east with Freeway Drive ahead of its intersections with Harrison Street and Clinton Street in East Orange. The freeway meets the Garden State Parkway at Exit 12. Photo taken 06/13/05. Harrison Street heads south from Exit 12B to Center Street near South Orange. Clinton Street ventures north to Dodd Street in East Orange. Photo taken 06/13/05. Original overheads posted at the Harrison Street overpass in the city of East Orange on Interstate 280 eastbound. The freeway continues below grade between a pair of frontage roads through New Jersey's largest city. Visible above is the NJ Transit Brick Church Station at Prospect Place and Brick Church Plaza. Interstate 280 intersects the Garden State Parkway and Oraton Parkways (parallel frontage roads to the Parkway) in one half mile at Exit 12. Photo taken 06/13/05. A tri-level stack interchange (Exit 12B) connects Interstate 280 with the access road to the Garden State Parkway. Garden State Parkway constitutes a north-south toll road through the urban areas of North Jersey and the coastal communities of South Jersey. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 12B leaves well ahead of the actual interchange for the Garden State Parkway. Interstate 280's pull through-panel gains a New Jersey Turnpike trailblazer for its eastern terminus at Kearny. Photo taken 06/13/05. The next interchange is of historical significance in that it represents the planned north end of unconstructed New Jersey 75. New Jersey 75 was to join Interstate 280 with New Jersey 21 between Newark and Belleville. Known as the Newark Midtown Freeway, the route was aimed at providing congestion relief of the Garden State Parkway, doubling as a truck route. Design elements including a dual freeway with four local lanes and six express lanes. Cancelled in 1973 due to construction costs estimated in 1969 at $115 million, only interchanges at the planned ends were ever built.2 Photo taken 06/13/05. An on-ramp joins the Exit 12B c/d roadway for the Garden State Parkway from Freeway Drive at Walnut Street. Before entering the toll plaza for the GSP, the exit yields a ramp to Oraton Parkway north ahead of its intersection with Freeway Drive. This is why "& Local" is displayed no the right-hand panel. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 continues east under Steuben Street. Remnant New Jersey 75 related signage was removed from the right and replaced with a "Newark Areas" exit sign to the left. The University Heights area is home to University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and New Jersey's Science & Technology University (NJIT). Photo taken 06/13/05. Three lanes depart from the left-hand side of Interstate 280 east for Exit 13 (First Street). The design is leftover from the scuttled New Jersey 75 freeway plan. Photo taken 06/13/05. Retroreflective signs were installed in 2001 at the Market Street overpass of Interstate 280 east. First Street heads south to Bergen Street and the UMDNJ and NJIT area and north to Branch Brook Park. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 and Exit 13 (planned New Jersey 75 north) partition at the 7th Street overpass. 1st Street connects the freeway with 4th Street and Park Avenue. Interstate 280 meanwhile elevates to pass over 1st Street en route to downtown Newark. Photo taken 06/13/05. Descending along Interstate 280 east at the south end of Branch Brook Park. Photo taken 06/13/05. Martin Luther King Boulevard connects Interstate 280 with downtown Newark at Exit 14. Downtown is home to Essex County College, Rutgers-Newark - The State University of New Jersey and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Attached to the Clifton Avenue-Norfolk Street overpass is the first sign of the upcoming Passaic River draw bridge. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 14 leaves the eastbound freeway for Martin Luther King Boulevard. MLK Boulevard heads south through the Rutgers campus to Clinton Avenue and north to 7th Avenue and High Street nearby. New Jersey 21, which constitutes a freeway northward from Newark to Passaic, meets Interstate 280 in one quarter mile. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 15 provides access to New Jersey 21 (McCarter Highway) northbound only from Interstate 280 east. The state route parallels the Passaic River as a surface route to 3rd Avenue before transitioning into a double-decked freeway adjacent to the river. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 crosses the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison via a six-lane lift bridge. The draw span is one of a handful on the Interstate system and resides between Exits 15 (New Jersey 21) and Exit 16 (Hudson County 508). Designated the William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge, the Passaic River span was built between 1948-49. Opened on May 1, 1949, the bridge became part of the interstate system in 1971. Rarely opened for vessels below, the 209.6 meter long bridge is now considered obsolete.1 Photos taken 06/13/05. Exit 16 departs Interstate 280 east immediately after the draw bridge for Cleveland Avenue and Hudson County 508 (Harrison Avenue) in Harrison. Connections with Passaic Avenue and other north-south street lead drivers into nearby East Newark. Photos taken 06/13/05. Eastbound at the half-diamond interchange with Cleveland and Harrison Avenues on Interstate 280. Hudson County 508 tallies 16.14 miles between New Jersey 10 in Livingston and New Jersey 7 in Kearny. The county route travels Bridge Street into downtown Newark. Photo taken 06/13/05. Looking back to the southwest at downtown Newark and its skyline. Photo taken 06/13/05. A PATH transit line parallels Interstate 280 closely through the industrialized southeast side of Kearny. Photo taken 06/13/05. Hudson County 508 (Newark-Jersey City Turnpike) leaves Harrison and Kearny and crosses paths with Interstate 280 in a swampy area north of the Passaic River. Interstate 280 ended at a half-diamond interchange with County Route 508 west of the New Jersey Turnpike in its early stages. Photo taken 06/13/05. Directional ramps link Interstate 280 east with Hudson County 508 east to New Jersey 7 and Jersey City. The remainder of the interchange consists of a three-quarter cloverleaf. Photo taken 06/13/05. A left-hand on-ramp joins Interstate 280 west from Hudson County 508 as Interstate 280 turns northward toward Exit 17B and its eastern end point with the New Jersey Turnpike. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 17A leaves Interstate 280 east for Hudson County 508 (Newark-Jersey City Turnpike) east. County Road 508 ends at an interchange with New Jersey 7 north of Kearny Point. New Jersey 7 continues east to its end at junction U.S. 1 & 9 Truck. Photo taken 06/13/05. Interstate 280 defaults into the Exit 15W toll plaza of the New Jersey Turnpike after the Exit 17B loop ramp to Hudson County 508 west. Photo taken 06/13/05. Entering the N.J. Turnpike toll plaza on Interstate 280 east. Photo taken 06/13/05. The first of three Turnpike ramps links with Interstate 95 on the eastern branch of the New Jersey Turnpike for interests to New Jersey 495 (Lincoln Tunnel). Photo taken 06/13/05. The second ramp is part of a conventional trumpet interchange with Interstate 95W just north of its merge with the eastern branch. Interstate 95 combines and heads south to Newark Liberty International Airport and Elizabeth. Interstate 95W otherwise heads north to East Rutherford and the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Photo taken 06/13/05. Sources: William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge, Nicolas Janberg's Structurae. Kevin Porter. Page Updated July 1, 2009.