New Jersey

[Mr. Matté]

They're probably meant to replicate the pillars on the previous bridge too.

[roadman65]

The Morris Goodkind Bridge on US 1 between Edison and New Brunswick has them. However that bridge was built in the 1930's. This here is a modern bridge built in the mid aughts.

[famartin]

The Morris Goodkind Bridge on US 1 between Edison and New Brunswick has them. However that bridge was built in the 1930's. This here is a modern bridge built in the mid aughts.

What Mr. Matte said above.

[jeffandnicole]

https://goo.gl/maps/bEsYoxgsRbfkqLxQ6
What are these? The large concrete structure on both sides of Route 36 and both sides of the Shrewsbury River, that is along with the route number written at the base.

Tombstones.

They just look like decorative elements to me.

They're probably meant to replicate the pillars on the previous bridge too.

The Morris Goodkind Bridge on US 1 between Edison and New Brunswick has them. However that bridge was built in the 1930's. This here is a modern bridge built in the mid aughts.

What Mr. Matte said above.

All correct answers.

Hidden on NJDOT's website remains their construction update page dedicated to this bridge's replacement.

On https://nj.gov/transportation/commuter/roads/route36highlands/faq.shtm , about midway down the page, they discuss the monuments:

  Q. What will the fixed bridge look like?

Among the answers are:  Two monuments (pylons) at the west abutment in Highlands and two monuments (pylons) at the east abutment in Sea Bright. The pylons will feature decorative fish tiles replicated from those on the existing bridge.

https://nj.gov/transportation/commuter/roads/route36highlands/renderings.shtm also shows renderings of the monuments that they had proposed.  (Note, just below the renderings they reference a toll plaza rendering. NJDOT, as part of the project, rebuilt the toll booths entering the Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area, where users pay a fee to enter the park for the day when fees are collected.)

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/Gb5NXk5e71mxouw19
Found this concrete section of Higgins Avenue in Brielle that was the original NJ 35 no doubt before the current Manasquan River Bridge was built.

Plus being NJ 35 curves out of the way at Higgins Avenue with Higgins in a straight line carrying  the electrical lines, it’s obvious that whole interchange with Route 71 was built as part of the current bridge project.

Interesting to see as all NJ highways once were all concrete or at least the majority of them were.

Edit: Bridgehunter is out, but found that the bridge over Route 71 was built in 1950 per date stamped on the parapet from GSV. So the Brielle Bridge is also a 1950 constructed bridge I would say.  Though in 2009 it was rehabilitated according to NJDOT’s webpage.
https://goo.gl/maps/ppPyqGaJM75xmxpE8

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/JLhvQZ3UsBJCzrU38
Interesting. A no left turn sign inside the street blade

[jeffandnicole]

https://goo.gl/maps/JLhvQZ3UsBJCzrU38
Interesting. A no left turn sign inside the street blade

Another example:  https://goo.gl/maps/BSU79jLFr4NhKbWe9

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/VM92VoRtgubNLbos9
Interesting shield. Virginia once used these.

[Alps]

https://goo.gl/maps/Gb5NXk5e71mxouw19
Found this concrete section of Higgins Avenue in Brielle that was the original NJ 35 no doubt before the current Manasquan River Bridge was built.

Plus being NJ 35 curves out of the way at Higgins Avenue with Higgins in a straight line carrying  the electrical lines, it's obvious that whole interchange with Route 71 was built as part of the current bridge project.

Interesting to see as all NJ highways once were all concrete or at least the majority of them were.

Edit: Bridgehunter is out, but found that the bridge over Route 71 was built in 1950 per date stamped on the parapet from GSV. So the Brielle Bridge is also a 1950 constructed bridge I would say.  Though in 2009 it was rehabilitated according to NJDOT's webpage.
https://goo.gl/maps/ppPyqGaJM75xmxpE8

just gonna note a lot of county highways are also concrete from when they were built

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/Gb5NXk5e71mxouw19
Found this concrete section of Higgins Avenue in Brielle that was the original NJ 35 no doubt before the current Manasquan River Bridge was built.

Plus being NJ 35 curves out of the way at Higgins Avenue with Higgins in a straight line carrying  the electrical lines, it's obvious that whole interchange with Route 71 was built as part of the current bridge project.

Interesting to see as all NJ highways once were all concrete or at least the majority of them were.

Edit: Bridgehunter is out, but found that the bridge over Route 71 was built in 1950 per date stamped on the parapet from GSV. So the Brielle Bridge is also a 1950 constructed bridge I would say.  Though in 2009 it was rehabilitated according to NJDOT's webpage.
https://goo.gl/maps/ppPyqGaJM75xmxpE8

just gonna note a lot of county highways are also concrete from when they were built

Thought of that too, but the way it parts from Route 35 suggests it was the old alignment of either 35 itself or its predecessor. With Bridgehunter down is harder to research what was there before 1950.

[famartin]

Thought of that too, but the way it parts from Route 35 suggests it was the old alignment of either 35 itself or its predecessor. With Bridgehunter down is harder to research what was there before 1950.

Historic Aerials has the answers you seek (and you're right).

[roadman65]

They go back before 1950?  Didn't think they did.

I have to admit, Bridgehunter was a very useful tool went it lasted.

[famartin]

They go back before 1950?  Didn't think they did.

Depends on the location, but yes.

[ixnay]

I have to admit, Bridgehunter was a very useful tool went it lasted.

Can't comment on Bridgehunter as I'd never heard of it until recently on AARoads, but BridgeReports.com was very useful while *it* lasted.  I just emailed BridgeReports' webmaster asking if it's ever coming back.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/Ra5MqZykZKxzWGHs9
Odd that the Garden State Parkway Shield on SB US 9W at its terminus directs motorists to use Route 4 instead of I-80.

However being a left turn prohibition prohibits a turn into the SB I-95 ramp to I-80, it's probably a better route to use Route 4 to Paramus.

What's more interesting is that the I-95 trailblazing on the US 1-9-46 guide doesn't differentiate north or south for the interstate. Considering that the ramp to I-95 north is just beyond the US 1-9-46 ramp and US 46 west ( that leads to I-95 and I-80) has no entrance to I-95 NB, it should have a SOUTH header for it.

[storm2k]

Here are some pictures of some new structures and signs spotted around NJ. Most are triangular truss replacements but there are some other goodies here too:


I really don't know why NJDOT won't just let the Parkway shield exist on its own without a text legend. It identifies the road just fine alone.


These were pretty much all replace-in-kind without modification and all look good.


These are all replace-in-kind as well. The crossover sign adds text legend for the Parkway in the weird two line form since they don't want to abbreviate it.


The "tabs" for each side (express and local lanes) is an interesting addition. Also, NJDOT has reverted to the standard MUTCD airport icon for Newark Airport. They already stopped the brown backgrounds a while ago.


Not sure why they don't put a 21 shield next to the legend for Downtown Newark since that's the road that will take you there.

These are all on the new roadways that lead to the new Terminal A at EWR. Interesting aside: the PA has commissioned a custom font called Helvetica Now for PANYNJ that you can download from the PA for your sign creation needs.


It looks like there is still a bunch of blue out on this sign as though it will eventually reveal more legend.


This is using the new shorter APL arrows that is coming in the next MUTCD revision. Also interesting that the sign for the South Area is still on a brown background even though they've moved away from any brown in signage for the main terminals.


This one also uses the shorter APL arrows. I like how these look, especially because it means you don't need signs that are as tall as they need to be now.

Back to NJDOT territory:


I do not understand what NJDOT is doing here. This is the site of the old overhead that's been gone for over 15 years, but why put up just a cantilever to put this sign up and not a full structure to have a proper overhead for the exit to Rt 81. Makes no sense to me at all.


Now over to 287. This replaces the sign that used to be mounted to the River Road overpass which had to go away for the overpass renovation project. Very obviously replace-in-kind for the old one, but I do not like how the CR-527 shield looks.

[famartin]

Re: adding Garden State Parkway wording in text... well, if you're from out of state there's a 0 percent chance you can read the words on the trailblazer at highway speed, so otherwise won't know what road it means.

Re: CR 527 shield, actually I think that's an improvement on their recent work, since it seems easier to read the numbers, but I am curious if it's a permanent change or a one-time change. New signs for CR's elsewhere don't look like that and are harder to read.

[jeffandnicole]

Re: adding Garden State Parkway wording in text... well, if you're from out of state there's a 0 percent chance you can read the words on the trailblazer at highway speed, so otherwise won't know what road it means.

Re: CR 527 shield, actually I think that's an improvement on their recent work, since it seems easier to read the numbers, but I am curious if it's a permanent change or a one-time change. New signs for CR's elsewhere don't look like that and are harder to read.

Yet a new BGS on NJ 42 with the ACX Trailblazer doesn't also say "Atlantic City Expressway", despite being equally unreadable.  One of the control cities is Atlantic City, so the may have decided that was good enough.

[akotchi]

My nickel's worth on the matter (inflation . . . )

I have noticed a lot of inconsistency in how much additional message is added with the toll road pictograph, from none to repeating the road name in text.  This happens with the Turnpike, Parkway, AC Expressway and even Palisades Parkway.  I even see control cities with some of the newer sign installations.  Occasionally, I will see the road name without the pictograph.

It also varies whether the signs are agency (i.e. NJTA, SJTA, etc.) mounts or NJDOT (or other outside-agency) mounts.  The agencies are generally using the pictograph by itself with control cities, whereas off-system usage is more with the accompanying roadway text in lieu of control cities.

The inconsistency has gotten worse with newer sign installations.

The issue is the how agencies are interpreting the MUTCD's take on the use of pictographs.  To me, it does not specifically address the use of a pictograph as the equivalent of a route marker.

Complicating matters, perhaps, is the proliferation of the ground-mounted trailblazer assemblies on many roadways throughout the state.  None have corresponding text plaques explaining what they mean.

I know New Jersey best, but I imagine similar issues are in other states with similarly pictographed roadways.

Not sure there is a "one size fits all" solution . . .

[roadman65]

On 4265^^^ the last sign for I-287 needs to either nix the road name or control cities as having them both is information overload.

The US 1-9 pull through at NJ 81 is an oddity for sure as guide signs are for the exits not so much through traffic.

[famartin]

On 4265^^^ the last sign for I-287 needs to either nix the road name or control cities as having them both is information overload.

The US 1-9 pull through at NJ 81 is an oddity for sure as guide signs are for the exits not so much through traffic.

4265 (287 exit 10) was a replacement with no alteration... ie been that way for decades.

I wonder if that 1/9 gantry is half finished? It looks... odd.

[NJRoadfan]

Part of the problem with toll road signing is NJDOT simply doesn't want to sign the control cities that NJTA now finally posts on their roadways. NJ-70 at the GSP has proper signs courtesy of the NJTA. Only two Turnpike interchanges with NJDOT roads have control cities posted on the intersecting crossroad, I-195 and US-206 northbound.

I don't know why NJTA refuses to post ACE shields at Exit 37 of the Parkway, but that is an issue for SJTA to deal with.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

I think a lot of headache would be saved if they simply abbreviated "Garden State Parkway" to "GS Pkwy" and kept it down to one line. Although if it were up to me I would just use the shield and control cities like any other highway.

[famartin]

I think a lot of headache would be saved if they simply abbreviated "Garden State Parkway" to "GS Pkwy" and kept it down to one line. Although if it were up to me I would just use the shield and control cities like any other highway.

Using only a blazer without the name, or even an abbreviated version, handicaps non-locals trying to navigate. Control cities would be useful tho. A style other states use but which seems foreign to NJDOT would have the shield left, Road name right, and controls beneath, but I don't think I've ever seen that in NJ. NY, MD and VA are all about it, tho.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

I think a lot of headache would be saved if they simply abbreviated "Garden State Parkway" to "GS Pkwy" and kept it down to one line. Although if it were up to me I would just use the shield and control cities like any other highway.

Using only a blazer without the name, or even an abbreviated version, handicaps non-locals trying to navigate. Control cities would be useful tho. A style other states use but which seems foreign to NJDOT would have the shield left, Road name right, and controls beneath, but I don't think I've ever seen that in NJ. NY, MD and VA are all about it, tho.

99% of non-locals trying to navigate are using GPS guidance and I doubt the abbreviation would cause problems.