Did interstate 80 ever enter New York City

[bzakharin]

I just noticed the following statement in Wikipedia's article on I-80: "I-80 no longer goes all the way to New York City via the George Washington Bridge as it did when originally completed in 1968. Once the NJ Turnpike/I-95 was extended in 1971 from its former terminus at US-46 in Ridgefield, NJ to I-80 in Teaneck the section from Teaneck to Fort Lee was resigned as I-95. I-80's designated end (as per signage and NJDOT documents) is now 4 miles (6.4 km)[8] short of New York City in Teaneck, New Jersey, before the Degraw Ave overpass." There are no citations on this paragraph.

The article on I-80 in New Jersey contradicts the notion that I-80 was completed in 1968, citing 1973 instead as the year when the entirety of I-80 in New Jersey was opened. The only reference to 1971 in that article is: "By 1971, the section between Wayne and Paterson was completed along with the part between US 202 and I-280". The article on I-95 in NJ does say that "The portion of I-95 between the north end of the New Jersey Turnpike and I-80 opened in 1971." The citation there is to something offline, so I can't get more information.

So, did Interstate 80 ever enter New York City? If so, where did it terminate?

[Alps]

No, it never did. Don't listen to Wikipedia at all. BTW 1973 is correct: www.alpsroads.net/roads/nj/log/7.html#80

[kphoger]

Don't listen to Wikipedia at all.

Better yet, submit a correction.

[roadman65]

I think someone was definitely confused by the temporary signage at the time.  Being that I-95 from US 46 to I-80 was completed in 1971, it could not be very well signed for I-95 Southbound from the GWB, so it had to be signed for I-80 WB exclusively.  That did not mean that it indeed was I-80.

Back before the controversial 5 mile segment of I-78 was completed in Union County, NJ, the section east of NJ 24 was not signed for I-78 at all ramps westbound either.  It was signed for "TO NJ 24 WEST" so that those looking to travel I-78 Westbound into PA would not use it and end up on NJ 24 (the last exit west before the missing link) heading to Morristown.   Many locals often did call it Route 24, but it never was that.

Only I-287 between the NJ Turnpike and Exit 4 was always officially I-287 even before the Somerset Freeway cancellation took place, though it was intended to be part of I-95 from conception.  If the Somerset Freeway would have been built, I-287 would have then been truncated to South Plainfield where I-95 was to have interchanged with I-287 and the remaining four miles of I-287 would have been I-95 instead.  That probably was the reason I-287 in Middlesex and Somerset Counties had no exit numbers for the longest time.
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[Kacie Jane]

I'm pretty sure those other two examples are not true.  In fact, the first one I'm 100% certain on, that section was officially part of NJ 24.

[roadman65]

I'm pretty sure those other two examples are not true.  In fact, the first one I'm 100% certain on, that section was officially part of NJ 24.

It might of been, NJ 24, but the signs for NJ 24 on the ramps said TO NJ 24 WEST and eastbound were always shielded I-78.  On I-287 all signs at US 1, NJ 27, CR 501, and Durham Avenue were signed as I-287 and not "TO".  I do remember that the mile markers for I-287 did start near Durham Avenue and the exit numbers in Morris County were 4 less in numbers as I-80 was originally Exit 37, and the 16 mile marker was just south of I-78 back in 84 when I worked in Bedminster.  All CB radio operators used the 16 mile post as a common reference as state troopers did use the turnaround there as a speed trap. I also, think that I saw a mile marker in Edison that was numbered 36, which would make sense if it were gauged for the unbuilt Somerset freeway.

In addition NJ maps published for state information centers did list that part of I-287 as I-95, but Exxon maps showed it as a concurrency.  It is worth checking in to, as evidence shows of either.  Good catch!

[hubcity]

I also, think that I saw a mile marker in Edison that was numbered 36, which would make sense if it were gauged for the unbuilt Somerset freeway.

In addition NJ maps published for state information centers did list that part of I-287 as I-95, but Exxon maps showed it as a concurrency.  It is worth checking in to, as evidence shows of either.  Good catch!

You did see those mile markers (I believe 33, 34, 35 & 36 were up; I traveled that road a lot and saw it as an interesting detail.) Also, the mileage signs on overpasses were signed consistent with those mileages for a long time. (I'm pretty sure they now jibe with the southern terminus of 287 at 440, as do the exit signs.)

[Alps]

Don't listen to Wikipedia at all.

Better yet, submit a correction.

They may or may not accept my website as a source. Better yet, just use roadgeek websites.

As for the other examples, I-287/I-95 were shown as multiplexed west of the NJ Turnpike, so I would believe that I-287 wasn't intended to be truncated at all, but would have ended while multiplexed. There is ONE sign on the Parkway NB showing "I-78/NJ 24", but I'm not actually sure that that part of 78 was ever legislated as 24. My site says, "I-78 east of 24 was originally signed as 24 and/or cosigned with 24, since it was not completed yet through the Watchung Mountains west of 24; the overpass marker on the GSP (444) says "I-78/NJ 24"." So:

I'm pretty sure those other two examples are not true.  In fact, the first one I'm 100% certain on, that section was officially part of NJ 24.

citation needed

[Kacie Jane]

I'm pretty sure those other two examples are not true.  In fact, the first one I'm 100% certain on, that section was officially part of NJ 24.

citation needed

You caught me.  Mainly I was just going off your site, and also that I-78 was in the same corridor NJ 24 had been in since 1927, so I don't have any reason to disbelieve that the sign on the GSP overpass isn't a remnant from a time when NJ 24 was moved to the freeway and then truncated when I-78 was completed.

For I-287, I would assume that the first few miles were officially not I-287 and were only I-95, due to as mentioned, the mileposts and exit numbers.  The zero point was originally the Somerset Freeway, and the exits were then renumbered when the freeway was cancelled, so one would probably assume that said zero point was the official end.

[roadman65]

You know its funny how things are. The Star Ledger at one time when there was a debate whether to open the express lanes back in the early 80s as NJDOT was keeping the express lanes closed until the segment of I-78 through the Reservation was completed.  Whoever wrote the article at the time of its print referred to the Express Lanes as Route 78 and the local lanes as Route 24.  Now I do not know if that were the case then, but I would be sure that  it could have well been as someone in NJDOT gave that information to the author, but then again I have met with DOT officials before and they themselves had to fact check themselves on official route numbers as even in the DOT they call them as they see it.

Now, I do know that in Hillside the westbound I-78 ramps were signed "TO NJ 24 WEST" and the pull through signs at Exit 56 going Westbound were "NJ 24 WEST TO GSP (Shield).  The ramps shields had the "TO" placecard as black on white while the "WEST' and arrows on the ramp guide shields in Hillside (and even Lyons Avenue in Newark) were white on blue like interstates signs are.  That was so when I-78 was finally opened through Watchung Reservation all workers had to do was replace the NJ 24 shield with an I-78 one and remove the "TO" banner atop the assemblies.  As far as pull through signs on I-78 Westbound at Exit 56 at the time did not have "TO" for NJ 24 might of been for the same reason: convenience.  When the completed I-78 was opened for good, all workers there had to do was swap shields as well to make it simple at that location.

This does not mean, though that it was not officially NJ 24 either as many roads are signed for something that is not as you are aware.  How many times is a route truncated  in many areas without going through the motions of getting it off the books, but just remove the signs.  Then,  you do  have some places that designate a route without asking for permission and place signs for it, as well.  Very well you can be right about this also.  Maybe someone in the former NJ Highway Association did place the bridge sign due to direct information from DOT about the proper routes for it, but then again it could have been implied as well via someone at NJDOT who is ignorant.

Heck, NJ Turnpike still considers NJ 495 to be NJ 3 in its Exit 16E guide signs, and that is not at all correct.  Until I see a copy of the SLN for those years, I will not say either way.  As far as I-287 goes, the same way, although you may be totally right about that one as the mile posts did suggest that. 

[NJRoadfan]

This is a possible artifact of the NJ-24 signing, I wouldn't be surprised if the pre-1986 sign was identical with a different control city: http://goo.gl/maps/BL634

Yes, it does make sense today. If one gets on I-78 West there, to continue on the highway involves cutting across 3 lanes of traffic to stay on I-78. The express lane on-ramp in the background is sign I-78 West instead.

[roadman65]

This is a possible artifact of the NJ-24 signing, I wouldn't be surprised if the pre-1986 sign was identical with a different control city: http://goo.gl/maps/BL634

Yes, it does make sense today. If one gets on I-78 West there, to continue on the highway involves cutting across 3 lanes of traffic to stay on I-78. The express lane on-ramp in the background is sign I-78 West instead.

Yeah, I remember when they opened up the first segment of NJ 24 from I-78 to JFK Parkway, I-78 was not yet finished east of Exit 49, or at least quite.  For a few weeks, anyway, the local lanes were only opened between Exits 48 and 49 to allow access to the new freeway.  During that short period, the old NJ 24 was not yet signed as NJ 124 on Springfield Avenue in Union and Maplewood.  So indeed that section of I-78 Local could have been legislatively routed  as Route 24 until the section of I-78 to the Garden State Parkway was at least opened.  As the segment east of the GSP was opened months later, NJ 24 could have been extended east along I-78 to Exit 52.  I cannot remember when I first started seeing NJ 124 shields along Springfield Avenue, if it was at that moment in time or not.

It may be a delayed action as it would not be the first time state agencies have been slow in removing or replacing route signs after a re-designation, or not.  Look how long it took them to place a NJ 124 shield on the image your showing's pull through.  When I left New Jersey in 1990, there was only a NJ 82 shield on that.  Even the exit guide for Exit 49A, even though NJ 124 was signed east for Exit 49B, it just read "TO NJ 82" and no mention that NJ 124 went west along Springfield back as late as 1990 as well.

One way or the other, legislated or not, that whole stretch of I-78 was de facto NJ 24 just as one could say that the free I-95 north of I-80 could have been de facto I-80 until the section from I-80 to US 46 finally opened.