New Jersey

[Alps]

I know most of the time NJ uses the truss arms for the traffic lights, but why do some intersections have the wisconsin style sideways lights? I seen them a lot in Newark and Atlantic City.

It's just a different local style. Like how NYC uses the guy wire mast arms.

Horizontals were the norm decades ago in many places. Essex County had them on ALL of their roads.

[jeffandnicole]

Always wondered this: how much of 27, 28, and 439 in Elizabeth is actually maintained by NJDOT? Many of the traffic light installs in various places look like either local Elizabeth city installs or Union County jobs rather than NJDOT installs (I mean, a lot of them are the old style trombone arms with the horizontal signal installs, including some where the left turn arrow is between the yellow and green lights like this one), EMMs are uneven, and the way they sign the end of 28 and where 27 goes once the one way Chilton/Cherry pair gets to Westfield Ave is inconsistent. Never was all that sure how much NJDOT actually did and how much fell on the city.

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/ pick your route and have fun

I thought of suggesting that, but someone here likes to rip them for inaccuracies, so decided not to.

Calls 'em as I sees 'em.

[SignBridge]

There are still lots of horizontal traffic lights in Essex County in Newark and West Orange to name a few.

[roadman65]

There are still lots of horizontal traffic lights in Essex County in Newark and West Orange to name a few.

Atlantic City has plenty as well.

[storm2k]

Drove on the Middlesex County portion of 440 today to see what new signage was installed since I was last there.

New sign bridge ahead of the Parkway SB ramp. Guessing they'll take down the original one. The black on yellow "exit only" style bar is a new phenominon for NJDOT. Still omits a yellow toll banner for the Parkway even though there is nowhere to exit once you're on the southbound Parkway at this point before you hit a toll. Also interesting that the No Trucks banner is on 2 lines, and they don't put the usual "GS Parkway" control city.


Most of the other signage is currently done only on ramps, although there is a road closure tonight for a new sign bridge install near Pfeiffer Blvd.

Here's the new sign bridge for the 514WB exit from 440SB. Again with the black on yellow bars for the 200 ft warning, but not done the same way. It's missing the "LEFT" banner at the top that is supposed to accompany left-hand exits. NJDOT is really favoring the tall skinny signs like this these days in certain places. Will be curious if the 95 shield doesn't suffer from major fading in the next few years. Feels like a lot of interstate shields that NJDOT put up at one point on BGS's were extra prone to fading.


Interesting that NJDOT has fully recommitted to illuminating their sign bridges again, even though these should be fully retroflective and not need it.

One bonus sign:


This one annoys me, because 514 doesn't end here, of course. It just has a concurrency with 27 until it crosses the Albany St bridge and turns off onto Johnson Dr (not that you'd know it, because the City of New Brunswick doesn't sign the county route anywhere, not on overhead signs, not with reassurance markers, nothing. You basically lose sight of it from the Franklin/New Brunswick border until it veers off on its own again in Highland Pk). Also, the trip down the SLD rabbit hole brought something to my attention that I never knew. I never knew that 527 is officially routed down George St from the intersection with Albany St (Rt 27) all the way down to 18 (sharing a concurrency with NJ-172 for its tiny travel from 18... I'm not even sure why it's still a state route at this point). Yet at the intersection of George & Albany, the street name blade on the traffic signal posts it as NJ-171! Plus, several street name blades on traffic signals further down George St sign it as CR-672, which it only is north of NJ-27. That's kinda frustrating. I honestly always thought 527 silently made the left at the end of Easton Ave and then just silently was concurrent with 18 from the 18-27 interchange all the way down to where it veers off on its own again in East Brunswick. The more you know...

[Roadgeek Adam]

Having lived in Highland Park for 20 years, it's been like that forever (514 END misnomer). It's just been replaced in kind the last few years. It will probably be there for eternity.

[famartin]

Having lived in Highland Park for 20 years, it's been like that forever (514 END misnomer). It's just been replaced in kind the last few years. It will probably be there for eternity.

I suspect this is due to it being the terminus of Middlesex County maintenance. The small section that is independent of another route in New Brunswick is under municipal maintenance, IIRC.

On another topic, 527 may follow George St (which was also part of 171 at 27 until fairly recently), but Middlesex County doesn't recognize that, signing it as a 600 route instead. It might as well follow 27 to 18 as suggested, which is actually the only legal option (left turns from George St northbound to 27 are prohibited).

[Roadgeek Adam]

I personally wouldn't mind hacking 514 into two bits anyway. A concurrency (even unsigned) there is utterly pointless.

[famartin]

I personally wouldn't mind hacking 514 into two bits anyway. A concurrency (even unsigned) there is utterly pointless.

A lot of the 500 routes are rather odd and not exactly useful. No doubt this is because they were plotted 70 years or so ago and were meant as supplements/backups to the state highway system, not necessarily touring routes.

[artmalk]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

[famartin]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

Yes, it's one of my photos.

[artmalk]

Yes, it seems that they started with these signs in South and Cetnral Jersey, and they are working their way North.

[Roadgeek Adam]

I personally wouldn't mind hacking 514 into two bits anyway. A concurrency (even unsigned) there is utterly pointless.

A lot of the 500 routes are rather odd and not exactly useful. No doubt this is because they were plotted 70 years or so ago and were meant as supplements/backups to the state highway system, not necessarily touring routes.

They were assigned on 1/1/53 (same day as the current SR designations) as like their WW2 predecessor, air raid/disaster/military issues evacuation routes so the major roads could be used by the military in that situation.

[roadman65]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

Yes, it's one of my photos.

What is really weird here is that US 46 can also be reached by going north on I-287. Plus it's shorter.

However NJDOT using termination cities or townships now includes the  Route the road is terminating at.

[storm2k]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

Yes, it's one of my photos.

What is really weird here is that US 46 can also be reached by going north on I-287. Plus it's shorter.

However NJDOT using termination cities or townships now includes the  Route the road is terminating at.

Do not like. 10 doesn't hit 46 for a while. Also, Dover's been the control city for 10 westbound for a while, and makes more sense than Roxbury.

[roadman65]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

Yes, it's one of my photos.

What is really weird here is that US 46 can also be reached by going north on I-287. Plus it's shorter.

However NJDOT using termination cities or townships now includes the  Route the road is terminating at.

Do not like. 10 doesn't hit 46 for a while. Also, Dover's been the control city for 10 westbound for a while, and makes more sense than Roxbury.

Is it still that on I-287 for NJ 10 West?

[storm2k]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

Yes, it's one of my photos.

What is really weird here is that US 46 can also be reached by going north on I-287. Plus it's shorter.

However NJDOT using termination cities or townships now includes the  Route the road is terminating at.

Do not like. 10 doesn't hit 46 for a while. Also, Dover's been the control city for 10 westbound for a while, and makes more sense than Roxbury.

Is it still that on I-287 for NJ 10 West?

Yep. The signage on 287 in that area is still the reflective button copy signs installed when the HOV lanes were built in the mid 90s. Only ones that have been replaced are the signs at 21A-B, 22A sign bridge, and the signs right at 80 north of Exit 40.

[storm2k]

Took a ride to see what other new sign replacements I could find in areas with lots of triangular chord trusses still up there and was not disappointed. NJDOT is plowing right along with these replacements. Next effort will likely be on 78 as there are a bunch there, and I know a few were being readied where they're doing the overpass work near Main St Millburn.

22EB at Hillside Ave in Hillside. Not sure why the cantilever is so long when the sign is so short. Wondering if they'll eventually put a 22 to 1-9 Newark sign next to the exit sign, or maybe a "Newark Areas" style sign or something. Does feel like with such a sharp curve onto the exit ramp still, they should have put a black on yellow 10mph advisory on the sign itself, not just the advisory sign next to it.


22 at the end. Seeing the Newark Airport part without the brown background is weird, but it's properly executed and still includes EWR's unique airport logo. Also, that middle sign is not great if you ask me. And another tall and skinny sign on the left with Exit Only on two lines.


1&9 North at the Port Newark exit. There's clearly room for the North Area to be added to this sign, but wasn't. Don't know why. The rest of this is bad. The Crossover sign is completely over the local lanes instead of the express lanes, which could have easily been put there right if they slid the sign on the left over. That left sign, by the way, is way too busy with the three lines of control cities. Just leave it at New York City and call it a day!


Over to 280 westbound now. Looks like every overhead sign structure west of Exit 7 is in the process of being replaced if it hasn't been already (Exit 4). Pretty much a carbon copy of what was there previously just done to modern 2021 standards (previous ones were late 90s vintage). The 6A sign is still attached to the overpass and is the sign that was already there. I suspect if they need to take it down, it will turn into a ground mount replacement.


Exit 5B overhead is finally back! It's been missing for years already. Again, pretty much a replace in kind of what was there before, just done to modern specs once again.


And new Exit 5A bridge. Again, replace in kind with update to most recent standards.


There are new structures going up for the EB signs at this area. Additionally, there are new structures in progress for Exit 1 and the approach signs to 80. All of them were the old triangle chord trusses, and all are getting replaced with modern box trusses instead. Pretty much everything east of Exit 6, while not new, is much more modern than this, so I don't expect any replacements of those.

[roadman65]

I was often wondering about NJ 24 through Chatham. It was constructed two decades before the freeway west of it to I-287 was.  Was that originally planned to connect to Triborough Road? I am guessing that the Eisenhower Extension was cancelled after the freeway west of JFK was built.

I also speculate, that if Triborough Road was completed, it would have been signed as TEMP Route 24 south of it to at least bypass Downtown Chatham until 1992 when NJ 24 finally opened.

[storm2k]

I was often wondering about NJ 24 through Chatham. It was constructed two decades before the freeway west of it to I-287 was.  Was that originally planned to connect to Triborough Road? I am guessing that the Eisenhower Extension was cancelled after the freeway west of JFK was built.

I also speculate, that if Triborough Road was completed, it would have been signed as TEMP Route 24 south of it to at least bypass Downtown Chatham until 1992 when NJ 24 finally opened.

Alps' page about Eisenhower suggests it was always supposed to be a county highway all the way. You can trace out the vague path that the roadway would have followed and it makes sense that it would have connected to 124 in the Chatham area.

[jeffandnicole]

22 at the end. Seeing the Newark Airport part without the brown background is weird, but it's properly executed and still includes EWR's unique airport logo. Also, that middle sign is not great if you ask me. And another tall and skinny sign on the left with Exit Only on two lines.

The right-most sign would definitely qualify for the short-lived https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=19572.msg2201593#msg2201593 thread.

[OldJerseyGuy]

https://goo.gl/maps/cFbkRAsDFaMq2BRF9
How far along is the construction at one of the state" s  problematic interchanges coming along?

Its coming. I was nearby recently and snapped a few pics nearby.


View east on 46 from Clove Road.
(full size -> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/2021-07-23_14_39_02_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_42.jpg )

Drove thru here late last night. Signing is pretty non-existent at the moment besides one very temporary big orange APL sign a mile in advance of the split. Out of towners better be paying attention to those lane markings, because you don't get much else!

I go through this area several times a week. Retaining walls are being built along US 46 East where the hill has been cut away to widen the highway. Work continues on replacing the US 46 bridges over Lower Notch Rd. and Valley Rd. They are working on the eastbound side now and when that is complete, will probably shift traffic to work on the westbound side. There is no access from US 46 East to Valley Rd. The exit to Valley Rd. South has been closed permanently and the exit to Valley Rd. North, which will eventually serve all traffic from 46 East to Valley Rd. is closed while the US 46 East flyover is being built. Construction has begun on the flyover and I think that once that is completed, US 46 East traffic will be routed that way and the new main movement between US 46 East-NJ 3 East and NJ 3 West-US 46 West can be completed. Then I would imagine they will work on the US 46 West  roadway and the replacement of the current bridge over NJ 3 West.
I second NJRoadfan's comments about signage. A stranger going east on 46 has very little warning about the road split. New covered signs have been installed on a sign bridge on NJ 3 West, but there is no signage for the Valley Rd. exit until you get to the gore. Also US 46 West now has only 1 lane crossing over NJ 3 West (there will be two when construction is complete) and 1 lane for the Valley Rd. exit. It is easy to get caught in the wrong lane (ask me how I know).
Three more years.

[roadman65]

I was often wondering about NJ 24 through Chatham. It was constructed two decades before the freeway west of it to I-287 was.  Was that originally planned to connect to Triborough Road? I am guessing that the Eisenhower Extension was cancelled after the freeway west of JFK was built.

I also speculate, that if Triborough Road was completed, it would have been signed as TEMP Route 24 south of it to at least bypass Downtown Chatham until 1992 when NJ 24 finally opened.

Alps' page about Eisenhower suggests it was always supposed to be a county highway all the way. You can trace out the vague path that the roadway would have followed and it makes sense that it would have connected to 124 in the Chatham area.

Yeah, but NJ allows state designations to be county maintained in some areas.   Heck look at parts of Route 41 and the old alignment of NJ 18 on River Road in Highland Park and Piscataway.  It was never state maintained, but NJDOT had it designated TEMP NJ 18 up until 1987 when  part of the NJ 18 freeway got built in New Brunswick.


It could have been anticipated that Triborough Road could have been TEMP 24 up to current NJ 124 until the final leg of the freeway got done in the early 90's.  Then the signs would come down and revert to the 600 series number proposed for the never built arterial.

[bzakharin]

Slowly but surely, NJDOT is installing more signs without the black backplate (try saying that 10 times fast!)  I hadn't seen too many new ones in New Jersey, but this one is brand new and is shown in the Wikipedia article for NJ Route 10:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_10#/media/File:2021-07-06_10_41_33_will_rename_and_categorize_soon_31.jpg

Yes, it's one of my photos.

What is really weird here is that US 46 can also be reached by going north on I-287. Plus it's shorter.

However NJDOT using termination cities or townships now includes the  Route the road is terminating at.

If you're going anywhere on Westbound 46 west of 53 taking route 10 is usually faster than I-287. I'm not sure how something like that should be communicated. Perhaps not mentioning 46 at all is better. Otherwise, one might argue that I-80, NJ 53, US 202, and even NJ 15 should be added as well

[roadman65]

Wonder if the eastbound counterpart has West Orange and TO Essex County Route 577.

Obviously, the same engineer who designed the I-195 pull throughs with the with TO NJ 138 and TO NJ 29 engineered this. Again on I-195 they omit the Turnpike, Parkway, and I-295 and just use the two Routes 29 and 138 because at both ends the freeway defaults into them not realizing that the importance of the connecting routes would be more important than the continuing routes are in the minds of travelers.

Route 24 has the same issue with I-287 being signed at Exit 48 on I-78 local in Springfield. The contractor who amended the previous implied NJ 24 and NJ 124 concurrency that never existed placed I-287 to compliment Morristown as NJ 24 ends at it not realizing I-78 interchanges also with it 18 miles further. So, for example, if someone on local 78 is heading for I-287 South for Piscataway would see the sign, exit at Route 24, and head south on I-287 from Morristown.

By this logic, all pull through signs on I-287 in Bergen- Passaic will use TO NJ 440 and Perth Amboy going south where using TO I-80 would work better.  Then NB from the Turnpike it would have TO I -87 in addition to Mahwah on all pull through that way.