Old NJ Turnpike Photos

[Steve D]

Part 5....

A series of signs were erected in the median in the early 1960s to keep drivers awake.  They were posted on the (then) two longest stretches between interchanges, exits 8/9 and 2/3.  The series of signs said something like "KEEP AWAKE...TAKE A BREAK...NEXT SERVICE AREA X MILES".  They lasted until the mid 1970s.


The original Turnpike VMS from the 1950s!


...and the second generation of VMS from the 1960s ("DRIVE SLOW") with the original VMS in the inset.  The third generation VMS ("REDUCE SPEED") started appearing in the mid 1970s, with the full installation every two miles in 1983.  Today the fourth generation VMS (all color digital) is replacing them.


Signs galore...did people not know how to get to the shore in the 1950s?  Doesn't seem so important today.


One more set to post....

[SignBridge]

Does anybody remember when they used to (or do they still) print the words "KEEP AWAKE" in large red letters on the toll tickets? I haven't seen one in many years since Easy Pass became the norm.

[Alps]

Part 5....

My favorite yet - I've never seen photos of previous generation VMS before! Thanks for expanding my knowledge base. Had to change a caption on my I-95 page.

My favorite photo of the previous generation.

[cpzilliacus]

Does anybody remember when they used to (or do they still) print the words "KEEP AWAKE" in large red letters on the toll tickets? I haven't seen one in many years since Easy Pass became the norm.

No, I don't remember that, but I do remember the KEEP AWAKE signs on the median of the Turnpike.  They flashed on and off and were kind of a back-lit lime green when illuminated.

Very cool from a roadgeeking perspective, but I don't know how effective they were.

[Scott5114]

The  LANE CLOSED AHEAD sign could be moved physically to indicate a lane closure long before the standard VMS.

How did this work? Did the sign slide back and forth? What happened when there were no lanes closed?

[jeffandnicole]

Part 5....

My favorite yet - I've never seen photos of previous generation VMS before! Thanks for expanding my knowledge base. Had to change a caption on my I-95 page.

My favorite photo of the previous generation.

When these signs started breaking down, they would produce all sorts of interesting messages.  I always enjoyed ones that would say "Speed - Construction Ahead" or the sort.

Closely looking at the ones south of Exit 9, many of the neon letters/numbers simply don't exist anymore.

[Steve D]

I have some photos from the planned dual/dual widening of the Western Spur.

Background:  In 1985 the Turnpike announced three widening projects as part of what they called the 1985-90 Widening Program:

1)  Truck/bus lane extension from exit 9 to exit 8a
2)  Adding a fourth lane in the truck/bus roadway between exits 11 and 14
3)  Adding truck/bus lanes to the Western Spur between the "Northern Mixing Bowl" south of exit 15E and exit 18W.

The first two projects were completed by 1990 but the third was cancelled I think due to environmental issues.....Maybe someday?


Relocated exit 16W...this exit never seems to stay still; every few years the toll booths are expanded, the ramps to route 3 are re-configured, or the ramps to the Turnpike are altered.


Exit 15W plans...notice that the truck/bus lanes for the western spur would have crossed over the mainline (on presumably a very high bridge) to join the other three roads of the western spur.


Exit 15E plans...notice those three loops from the toll plaza northbound...it would probably be difficult to provide good signage in such a short area with so many different exits and options (note that the truck/bus lanes for the western spur are actually on the outside of the mainline, which is on the outside of the cars only lane of the western spur.....)


I also seem to remember a new exit - 15W-A - was proposed as part of this project but I could not find it in the plans.

That's all the photos I have for now - I hope you have enjoyed them!

[Steve D]

The  LANE CLOSED AHEAD sign could be moved physically to indicate a lane closure long before the standard VMS.

How did this work? Did the sign slide back and forth? What happened when there were no lanes closed?

The "THIS LANE CLOSED" sign did slide back and forth.  When no lanes were closed it was covered with several panels.  I remember the one just after exit 15E northbound sat covered for many years, maybe until even the early 1980s, before it was taken down.

[roadman65]

I remember those lane closed signs.  They even had signals beneath them to compliment the sign in the same effect NY bridges do when lanes are closed.

Also to build Truck lanes on the western spur was a plan, but if it ever did get done you would have had 12 lanes becoming 4 as north of 16W the Turnpike is only four lanes just like from 1-4 in South Jersey.  I do remember, also that NJ 17 would have had an exit as part of the 16W-15W master plan was to extend NJ 17 south to I-280 and have a connector road to the NJT.  Also, the defunct Berry's Creek project would have impacted the Turnpike's plans for improvement as it would have required some new changes to existing 16W as well.

[D-Dey65]

My favorite photo of the previous generation.

I love these, and the older ones aren't so bad either. Although I'm really going to miss the current generation of VMS signs, I don't hate the new ones.

[akotchi]

I remember those lane closed signs.  They even had signals beneath them to compliment the sign in the same effect NY bridges do when lanes are closed.

Also to build Truck lanes on the western spur was a plan, but if it ever did get done you would have had 12 lanes becoming 4 as north of 16W the Turnpike is only four lanes just like from 1-4 in South Jersey.  I do remember, also that NJ 17 would have had an exit as part of the 16W-15W master plan was to extend NJ 17 south to I-280 and have a connector road to the NJT.  Also, the defunct Berry's Creek project would have impacted the Turnpike's plans for improvement as it would have required some new changes to existing 16W as well.

(emphasis is mine) I think that is what the Exit 16W-A plan was, though I thought Route 17 was to be extended only to a direct connection to the Turnpike (not to I-280 as well).
-----------------------------------
Regarding the plans a couple of posts above . . . what was the side roadway (parallel to Route 3) supposed to be at the relocated Exit 16W?

[D-Dey65]

I wish they'd increase the turnpike to six lanes between the first Toll Plaza and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension. I still wish I could remember where I saw this old Howard Johnson's sign off in the woods somewhere between Exits 4 and 5.

Hey, did you know that Exit 15X and the Secaucus Junction along the Eastern Spur was the site where they filmed the second season opening theme from "That Girl?"
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=88049




Oh, I got my copy of "Images of America: The New Jersey Turnpike" today.

[SignBridge]

That "Images of America" book about the Turnpike's history is excellent. Some of Steve's photos appear in the book also along with some pictures of 1950's and 60's Turnpike/State Police cars. 

[ARMOURERERIC]

On the relocated exit 16W diagram, what is being connected to the new stub to the west (up)

[NJRoadfan]

On the relocated exit 16W diagram, what is being connected to the new stub to the west (up)

NJ-17.

[SignBridge]

Steve, re: the picture of the Exit-15W plan. Isn't it just as possible that the Western truck lanes could have passed under the mainline instead of going over it on a spectacularly high bridge? (Such a bridge might look something like the high, curving approach to the Holland Tunnel) I guess the question would be whether they could smoothly snake it between the existing bridge pillars without sharp curves.

[thenetwork]

Part 5....

Judging by the assembly and depth of the sign, was this sign internally lit???

[cpzilliacus]

Part 5....

Judging by the assembly and depth of the sign, was this sign internally lit???

They absolutely were.  I recall them emitting a very cool near lime-green glow, blinking off and on quickly. 

Looked to me like some sort of florescent lighting was installed inside, but without the "lag" that one associates with them. 

Perhaps they did not "lag" because they were already warmed-up? 

Or maybe the lighting inside was made up of green neon tubes?

If you look carefully to the right of this image, you will (barely) see two more signs mounted further along on the median.  If memory serves me correctly, they all flashed "together," creating an impressive display. 

[ARMOURERERIC]

On the relocated exit 16W diagram, what is being connected to the new stub to the west (up)

NJ-17.

Had this been implemented, what do you think would have happened to the existing 17/3 interchange?

[NE2]

Had this been implemented, what do you think would have happened to the existing 17/3 interchange?

Nothing. It was designed for such a realignment.

[vdeane]

I see a stub!

[Steve D]

Steve, re: the picture of the Exit-15W plan. Isn't it just as possible that the Western truck lanes could have passed under the mainline instead of going over it on a spectacularly high bridge? (Such a bridge might look something like the high, curving approach to the Holland Tunnel) I guess the question would be whether they could smoothly snake it between the existing bridge pillars without sharp curves.

I don't think so.  The piers for the mainline (eastern roadway) are close together and perpendicular to the road.  At the angle they showed, it would require much more spacing and/or overhead support piers.  Also, the gradient for the eastern roadway over the Passaic River is already at the maximum allowed by the Turnpike, according to very old documents (this was discussed in one of the first Turnpike annual reports about the decision to go over or under the nearby Pulaski Skyway).  Therefore, a new bridge crossing the Passaic and then going under the Turnpike would need to be graded much more steeply down than the eastern roadway,  beyond the Turnpike's standards.

[roadman65]

Steve, re: the picture of the Exit-15W plan. Isn't it just as possible that the Western truck lanes could have passed under the mainline instead of going over it on a spectacularly high bridge? (Such a bridge might look something like the high, curving approach to the Holland Tunnel) I guess the question would be whether they could smoothly snake it between the existing bridge pillars without sharp curves.

I don't think so.  The piers for the mainline (eastern roadway) are close together and perpendicular to the road.  At the angle they showed, it would require much more spacing and/or overhead support piers.  Also, the gradient for the eastern roadway over the Passaic River is already at the maximum allowed by the Turnpike, according to very old documents (this was discussed in one of the first Turnpike annual reports about the decision to go over or under the nearby Pulaski Skyway).  Therefore, a new bridge crossing the Passaic and then going under the Turnpike would need to be graded much more steeply down than the eastern roadway,  beyond the Turnpike's standards.

Yeah, that is another thing about the truck lanes that were once proposed for the Western Spur.  The fact that there is that limited spacing between the Pulaski Skyway and the Passaic River makes it tough to get another span in there.  True they could build another one east of the Eastern Spur, and make the current Eastern Spur part of the widened Western Spur, but is there enough room between the Skyway and the river on that side to have an a proper grade from the elevation under the Skyway to the height needed to span the river?

[SignBridge]

Steve, after looking at photos of the the Passaic River Bridge I have to reluctantly agree with you. The pillars are too close together for what I suggested.

Roadman, your idea might fly. Re: your concern about another river span after going under the Skyway,  the Skyway gets higher as it goes east from the Turnpike. So another Turnpike bridge might not be a problem because it could be higher (as it goes under the Skyway) than the other two Turnpike bridges were, and should clear the river with no problem. If you have the Images of America book, see the photos on page-39 for a good view of how the Skyway descends going west while crossing over the Turnpike from its own Passaic River bridge.  This also explains why the Western Turnpike Leg is lower than the Eastern Leg as it goes under the Skyway.

[lepidopteran]

About those "Keep Awake" signs... while the shape of the signs and the flashing, rings an eerie sense of deja-vu, I cannot recall ever seeing them.  But this puzzles me, because we drove the NJTP quite frequently from Exit 8 to 13 and back between 1970 and 1974.   And I used to notice everything on the turnpike route, sometimes driving other family members nuts by reading all the signs aloud.  (I was 3 when we moved to NJ.) Is it possible that the signs between Exits 8 and 9 were removed with the opening of Exit 8A, since it was now no longer such a long stretch (and might have distracted from the exit itself)?  We almost never went south of Exit 3, so I wouldn't have remembered the signs there, at least not consciously.

I did a quick Google search, and found this link to a South Amboy newspaper from 1959 announcing the installation.  Do a page search for "Signs To Keep Drivers Awake".  The signs apparently were to read:  "Keep Awake"  "For Safety"  "Rest Next"  "Service Area".  The paper is amusing for other reasons as well; there's a review for a new Marilyn Monroe movie titled "Some Like It Hot".  Not to mention all those quaint "exchange" phone numbers.

Edit: Here is the link: http://www.dowdell.org/citizen/1959/1959-07-30.pdf

The blinking signs were also mentioned in a poem by Allen Ginsberg titled "Bayonne Entering NYC".
http://njdh.scc-net.rutgers.edu/enj/lessons/suburban_nj/?part=poems