New Jersey Turnpike

[jeffandnicole]

Would "Thee Brunswicks" be allowed by the MUTCD?

I always felt like that was a very NJDOT thing to do, since you never see it anywhere else really, but I've never seen them do it with New Brunswick and et. al., like they would with the Plainfields or the Oranges. I'm betting because New Brunswick isn't just Brunswick.

In other states, their cities are 200 square miles large and have 30 exits for them to choose from. In New Jersey, our towns and cities are 2 square miles large and we have 1 exit for a whole bunch of them.    You miss your exit, you can get off the next one a few miles down the road, but you're already 5 towns away if not in another state! #slightexaggeration   

[bzakharin]

I'm pretty sure "the Brunswicks" is used in real life if not on signs. Same with "the Wildwoods", "the Amboys" (even though Perth Amboy isn't just Amboy), and "the Oranges".

[Mr. Matté]

Breaking off of the municipal group name discussion for a second, I was looking at some older aerial imagery of the Woodbridge area to write a snarky Reddit response, but looking at the early construction activities around what became Exit 11 (with US 9 at the time), I noticed there's some weird ramps between the eventual Turnpike and US 9, see here:  http://historicaerials.com?layer=1947&zoom=16&lat=40.54424895421915&lon=-74.29088115692139

Does anyone know if these were just temporary construction access roads or was this going to be something different in the works like the weird cloverleaf interchange on the early NY Thruway near Rochester?

[Alps]

Breaking off of the municipal group name discussion for a second, I was looking at some older aerial imagery of the Woodbridge area to write a snarky Reddit response, but looking at the early construction activities around what became Exit 11 (with US 9 at the time), I noticed there's some weird ramps between the eventual Turnpike and US 9, see here:  http://historicaerials.com?layer=1947&zoom=16&lat=40.54424895421915&lon=-74.29088115692139

Does anyone know if these were just temporary construction access roads or was this going to be something different in the works like the weird cloverleaf interchange on the early NY Thruway near Rochester?

I'd say it looks like original NJ 300 was going to have a cloverleaf interchange.

[dgolub]

Breaking off of the municipal group name discussion for a second, I was looking at some older aerial imagery of the Woodbridge area to write a snarky Reddit response, but looking at the early construction activities around what became Exit 11 (with US 9 at the time), I noticed there's some weird ramps between the eventual Turnpike and US 9, see here:  http://historicaerials.com?layer=1947&zoom=16&lat=40.54424895421915&lon=-74.29088115692139

Does anyone know if these were just temporary construction access roads or was this going to be something different in the works like the weird cloverleaf interchange on the early NY Thruway near Rochester?

I'd say it looks like original NJ 300 was going to have a cloverleaf interchange.

NJ 300?

[cl94]

Breaking off of the municipal group name discussion for a second, I was looking at some older aerial imagery of the Woodbridge area to write a snarky Reddit response, but looking at the early construction activities around what became Exit 11 (with US 9 at the time), I noticed there's some weird ramps between the eventual Turnpike and US 9, see here:  http://historicaerials.com?layer=1947&zoom=16&lat=40.54424895421915&lon=-74.29088115692139

Does anyone know if these were just temporary construction access roads or was this going to be something different in the works like the weird cloverleaf interchange on the early NY Thruway near Rochester?

I'd say it looks like original NJ 300 was going to have a cloverleaf interchange.

NJ 300?

The original designation of the Turnpike south of New Brunswick. NJDOT was going to build the freeway and designate it NJ 300, but a lack of funds resulted in the creation of the Turnpike Authority and it being built as a toll road.

[ixnay]

Would "Thee Brunswicks" be allowed by the MUTCD?

I always felt like that was a very NJDOT thing to do, since you never see it anywhere else really, but I've never seen them do it with New Brunswick and et. al., like they would with the Plainfields or the Oranges. I'm betting because New Brunswick isn't just Brunswick.

I-95 in NH used to use The Hamptons for its Exit 2 listings.

Don't know if Maine still does the following, but at the time of my 1980 and 1983 visits to steprelatives in Nova Scotia, they signed one of the I-95 interchanges (on the untolled section between the NH border and the beginning of the Maine Tpk.) as "The Yorks/The Berwicks".

ixnay

[SignBridge]

Didn't NJT used to sign Exit-15W as "I-280/The Oranges"? I believe they did away with that on the new signing. I think now it shows Newark as the destination.

[Beeper1]

Exit 2 on I-95 in Maine is still signed for The Berwicks.

[Alps]

Breaking off of the municipal group name discussion for a second, I was looking at some older aerial imagery of the Woodbridge area to write a snarky Reddit response, but looking at the early construction activities around what became Exit 11 (with US 9 at the time), I noticed there's some weird ramps between the eventual Turnpike and US 9, see here:  http://historicaerials.com?layer=1947&zoom=16&lat=40.54424895421915&lon=-74.29088115692139

Does anyone know if these were just temporary construction access roads or was this going to be something different in the works like the weird cloverleaf interchange on the early NY Thruway near Rochester?

I'd say it looks like original NJ 300 was going to have a cloverleaf interchange.

NJ 300?

The original designation of the Turnpike south of New Brunswick. NJDOT was going to build the freeway and designate it NJ 300, but a lack of funds resulted in the creation of the Turnpike Authority and it being built as a toll road.

Damn, I mixed them up. 100 then.

[roadman65]

Didn't NJT used to sign Exit-15W as "I-280/The Oranges"? I believe they did away with that on the new signing. I think now it shows Newark as the destination.

Newark and Kearney to be exact unless since 2012 it was changed. 

Also in the 70s even before I-280 was completed through Harrison and Kearney it was signed as "Newark- The Oranges." In fact it was that way when I left in 1990.

In fact on the Eastern Spur it read "Kearney- The Oranges" instead of using Newark for the longest time as well.  I believe that The Oranges were dropped when the other signs changed to Newark- Kearney.

Also to note the Parkway always signed Exit 145 as "The Oranges- Newark- Harrison" for many decades as well.  In fact I-80 had them for the longest time, and even Steve cannot dispute that one, in Parsippany at I-280's western terminus Exit 47A guides.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

Exit 14A


Exit 14B

[roadman65]

Yes those signs are classic.  However at the former Grand Street exit (now Christopher Columbus Drive) that had them even when I left NJ in 1990, according to GSV has the new modern rust locked overhead signs with diagramical panels on it.   The pull through sign says "Holland Tunnel" exclusively with no route numbers and said so on the old back lit signs as well, as it might as well be being the interstate route has four signalized intersections along the route after the Turnpike ends and it connects to no freeway beyond it.

[cl94]

I drove the Turnpike from the north end to Exit 6 on Monday and noticed that there is still a decent amount of old signage between Exits 8A and 14. 15-16 has been replaced for MUTCD compliance, at least on the Western Spur. Most of the old mechanical VMS signs remain, but almost everything north of the Exit 14 advances meets modern standards.

On a different note, NJTA did a really nice job with the widening. Loved how fast I was able to take the ramps and pavement was in generally good shape throughout the system.

[Alps]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

[Don'tKnowYet]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

14B was removed in early May.  14A is the last one.

[Alps]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

14B was removed in early May.  14A is the last one.

WHAT.

[cl94]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

14B was removed in early May.  14A is the last one.

WHAT.

Are the signs immediately west of the at-grade section still there, or were those ancient signs also casualties?

[storm2k]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

14B was removed in early May.  14A is the last one.

WHAT.

Are the signs immediately west of the at-grade section still there, or were those ancient signs also casualties?

There's this and this. They kept the classic gantries, but the signs themselves were replaced 5 or 6 years ago, when the 14th st viaduct was rebuilt.

[NJRoadfan]

That second gantry on NJ-139 is actually a brand new reproduction and technically not period correct design for that roadway!

[Roadrunner75]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

14B was removed in early May.  14A is the last one.

WHAT.

I took this photo of the signs entering at 14B on 4/12.  You can see the new support installed behind them.   I haven't entered here since that time, but when I saw the new post I grabbed the phone to get a quick shot thinking I probably wouldn't see these great old signs again.

[cl94]

Does anyone know if the sign replacement project has made its way to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension? Google street view caught some beautiful (original?) assemblies last time it went through.

14A is probably gone with the reconstruction there. 14B is still there and will take a long time to go.

14B was removed in early May.  14A is the last one.

WHAT.

Are the signs immediately west of the at-grade section still there, or were those ancient signs also casualties?

There's this and this. They kept the classic gantries, but the signs themselves were replaced 5 or 6 years ago, when the 14th st viaduct was rebuilt.

Shows how long it has been since I was through the Holland Tunnel. Seems like all of the old signs are going away.

[roadman65]

Except the ones at Jersey Avenue, on the former Boyle Plaza now again 14th Street.  That large overhead that supports the traffic signals as well still has text US 1-9 and Turnpike on it with a few PANYNJ signs for their destinations.

At least the last time GSV went through there it was still there anyway.

[storm2k]

That second gantry on NJ-139 is actually a brand new reproduction and technically not period correct design for that roadway!

You're right. I forgot that the old sign there was basically a long eye-bar of steel on two supports with some old, old, old signs on them. Sadly no GSV for them, as it only goes back to 2009 when the current structure was already in place.

[roadman65]

Actually at the diverge point of I-78 and NJ 139 there was signs showing that US 1 and US 9 were two different routes instead of US 1-9 or US 1 & 9.  It was across the ramp to the NJ Turnpike with only "Turnpike" on it and not the NJ Turnpike.  It had a piece stick out over the main roadway with the "US 1" and "US 9" not reaching to the far left.