Interstate 78 East - Newark to Jersey City

Interstate 78 shifts northeastward from the GSP through an industrial area of north Hillside Township toward Exit 54 with Winans Avenue east and Paine Avenue west.

07/27/07

An Interstate 78 west trailblazer for Exit 54 remains from before the September 2009 completion of the flyover from the GSP north to I-78. Missing movements between the Parkway and I-78 were added between April 2008 and September 21, 2011 as part of a $150 million project.¹ Before their completion, motorists were directed to U-turn via Paine Avenue to access I-78 west.

07/27/07

One quarter mile ahead of Exit 54 onto Paine Avenue west to Irvington and Winans Avenue east to Hillside.

07/27/07

Exit 54 loops away from the Local lanes of I-78 east. This exit also includes connections with Fabyan Place, a frontage road east to Lyons Avenue (CR 601) in west Newark.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 nips the southern corner of Irvington Township at the Paine Avenue overpass.

07/27/07

A sign for Liberty State Park appears beyond the Exit 54 gore point. Liberty State Park lies further east in Jersey City via Exit 14B.

07/27/07

As Interstate 78 enters Newark, interests to Newark Penn Station for both AMTRAK and NJTransit are directed toward Exit 57 for Route 21 north. Route 21 commences a 14.35 mile route to U.S. 46 in Clifton at I-78 and U.S. 1/9.

07/27/07

An on-ramp joins I-78 east from Lyons Avenue and Schley Street ahead of the Clinton Place overpass. A sign advises motorists bound for either the NJ Turnpike or Jersey City to remain on Interstate 78.

07/27/07

Accessible from both the Express and Local lanes, forthcoming Exit 56 departs in one half mile for a freeway spur to Peddie Street and Elizabeth Avenue. The spur is a leftover from the incomplete Route 69 freeway planned between I-78 and Interstate 280 north of University Heights.

07/27/07

A directional T interchange joins Interstate 78 with the unnumbered freeway spur north to Runyon Street. Route 69 was canceled in 1973 due to costs, leaving just the spur from I-78 and a partially built interchange at I-280 as the lone elements built for the route.

07/27/07

Exit 56 leaves both roadways of I-78 east simultaneously for Peddie Street east to Route 27 (Frelinghuysen Avenue) and Runyan Street east to Elizabeth Avenue.
Exit 58 follows to U.S. 1/9 south to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Port Newark.

07/27/07

The Express lanes of Interstate 78 travel above all ramps associated with the planned Route 69 freeway.

08/11/04

A left side ramp joins the Local lanes with the Express lanes for uninterrupted access to Interstate 95, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Holland Tunnel. The Local lanes tie into the New Jersey Turnpike Extension toll plaza at their end.

07/27/07

A complex interchange lies at the north end of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), with ramps leaving from the Local lanes for both Route 21 north and Brewster Road south to the airport passenger terminal.

07/27/07

The Local lanes appear again alongside the Express lanes as U.S. 22 converges with I-78 ahead of U.S. 1/9. The freeway along U.S. 1/9 enters the exchange from EWR Airport to the south, joining I-78 with Elizabeth, Port Newark and the Pulaski Skyway to Jersey City.

07/27/07

Exit 57 leaves the Local lanes for Route 21 (McCarter Highway) north to the Newark Central Business District.

07/27/07

A final slip ramp joins the Local lanes for access to U.S. 1/9, U.S. 22 and Route 21.

07/27/07

Exit 58A partitions from the Local lanes for Port Street east and a service road alongside U.S. 1/9 south with return access to both Route 21 (McCarter Highway) north and U.S. 22 west to Hillside.

07/27/07

Ramps from the I-78 Connector leading north from EWR Airport drop down onto I-78 east between the Express and Local lanes.

07/27/07

The Express and Local lanes combine just east of the U.S. 1/9 overpasses and ahead of the New Jersey Turnpike Extension main line toll plaza.

07/27/07

Ramps from U.S. 1/9 south and Port Street west from Port Newark join the Express lanes ahead of the toll plaza.

07/27/07

Exit 58B provides the final exit before the tolled section of Interstate 78. The loop ramp joins U.S. 1/9 north onto the Pulaski Skyway. U.S. 1/9 follow the historic bridge across the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers into Jersey City.

08/04/11

The NJ Turnpike Extension toll plaza comes into view as the aforementioned ramp splits for I-78 east and Interstate 95.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 travels the New Jersey Turnpike Extension across Newark Bay into Bayonne and Jersey City.

07/27/07

Ramps for the New Jersey Turnpike mainline part ways with I-78 east beyond the toll plaza. Interstate 95 leads southwest along the toll road to Woodbridge, New Brunswick and Mansfield Township. Northward the Turnpike splits with the Western Spur (unsigned I-95W) serving East Rutherford while the Eastern Spur carries the I-95 mainline to Secaucus.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 next spans four roadways of Interstate 95 (NJ Turnpike) and several railroad lines. An old button copy sign references a 50 mile per hour speed limit for the NJ Turnpike Extension as ramps from I-95 tie in.

07/27/07

Traveling a viaduct east toward the Newark Bay Bridge, Interstate 78 reduces to four overall lanes.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 travels a steel arch bridge over Newark Bay across the Essex and Hudson County line. Constructed as part of the New Jersey Turnpike Spur between the Turnpike mainline and the Holland Tunnel, the bridge opened on April 4, 1956 at a cost of $40 million.²

07/27/07

08/09/04

Interstate 78 crosses the Hudson County line near the midpoint of the Newark Bay Bridge. The span provides 135 feet of clearance for vessels below.²

08/09/04

A reassurance marker for I-78 appears on the Newark Bay Bridge descent toward the city of Bayonne.

07/27/07

A trumpet interchange (Exit 14A) joins the NJ Turnpike Extension with Route 440 just east of the bridge. Exit 14A links with Avenue E east to Port Jersey Boulevard and Pulaski Street to Route 440. Route 440 continues NY 440 north across the Bayonne Bridge from Staten Island, New York.

07/27/07

Route 440 follows the original alignment of NY 169 between Interstate 78 and the Bayonne Bridge across Kill Van Kull onto Staten Island. The state route was renumbered as part of Route 440 when plans for a freeway between the Bayonne Bridge and I-78 fizzled.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 eastbound at the off-ramp (Exit 14A) for Route 440. Route 440 travels a multi-lane arterial highway from the Bayonne Bridge northward through Bayonne to Jersey City and U.S. 1/9 Truck at Lincoln Park.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 turns northeastward toward Downtown Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel. 30 Hudson Street tower anchors the Jersey City skyline.

08/09/04

An eastbound shield assembly posted near the Chapel Avenue underpass by Caven Point.

07/27/07

Service areas formerly lined both sides of the New Jersey Turnpike Extension south of Exit 14B (Bayview Avenue). Now used for storage and maintenance operations, the John Stevens Service Area (east) and Peter Stuyvesant Service Area (west) closed in the early 1970s.³

07/27/07

Bay View Avenue connects the trumpet interchange at Exit 14B with the Jersey City street grid at Garfield Avenue to the west.

08/09/04

East from Exit 14B, Bayview Avenue ties into a roundabout with Morris Pesin Drive east and Burma Road north to Liberty State Park. A ferry service links Liberty State Park with Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

08/09/04

07/27/07

I-78 continues northward a half mile to the New Jersey Turnpike Extension main line toll plaza and Exit 14C to Jersey City Boulevard.

07/27/07

Exit 14C consists of a half diamond interchange with Jersey City Boulevard to Liberty State Park, the Liberty Science Center and the NJTRansit Liberty State Park Station.

07/27/07

Open road tolling options are not available at the NJ Turnpike Extension toll plaza. Several lanes are dedicated to E-ZPass account holders however, but with a 15 mile per hour speed limit.

07/27/07

Traffic splits between the I-78 mainline to the Holland Tunnel and Exit 14C to Liberty State Park beyond the toll barrier.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 winds northward onto a viaduct to a half diamond interchange with Columbus Drive north at Montgomery Street.

07/27/07

Columbus Drive turns east from I-78 to the Jersey City business district and the Hudson Riverfront.

07/27/07

Easterly view of the Lower Manhattan skyline from Interstate 78 near the Morris Canal Basin.

07/27/07

The unnumbered ramp to Columbus Drive parts ways with I-78 east. Montgomery Street parallels Columbus Drive three blocks to the south toward the Hudson River. West of I-78, the street continues to McGinley Square.

07/27/07

The Interstate 78 viaduct rises higher to pass over Newark Avenue (CR 639) on the final approach to the NJ Turnpike Extension end at 12th Street.

07/27/07

The Empire State Building dominates the Mid Manhattan skyline to the northeast of Interstate 78 and Jersey City.

07/27/07

Another look at the Jersey City skyline as I-78 lowers toward 12th Street east by Hamilton Park.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 curves eastward at a wye interchange with the east end of Route 139 ahead of the transition into 12th Street.

07/27/07

Route 139 and Interstate 78 east descend to their intersection with Jersey Avenue onto 12th Street. 12th Street doubles as I-78 eastward through four signalized intersections with six travel lanes. The at-grade portion of I-78 is rather unique in the Interstate system, joining the I-70 connection to the PA Turnpike in Breezewood, Pennsylvania and the entirety of the short I-180 in Cheyenne, Wyoming as Interstates with traffic lights.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 (12th Street) eastbound at the intersection with Erie Street. Gas stations and other businesses line the four-block stretch of 12th Street between the Turnpike and Holland Tunnel toll plaza. Interstate 78 westbound follows 14th Street one block to the north.

07/27/07

One block further east along I-78 (12th Street) at Grove Street. Grove Street (CR 635) flows south while Erie Street (CR 633) flows north across 12th Street.

07/27/07

Lane striping attempts to separate motorists between cash-based lanes for the Holland Tunnel toll plaza and E-ZPass dedicated lanes throughout 12th Street east.

07/27/07

Interstate 78 intersects Marin Boulevard (CR 637) ahead of the west portal into the Holland Tunnel. Marin Boulevard leads north to the city of Hoboken and south to the Newport Centre mall.

07/27/07

The Holland Tunnel toll plaza is nine lanes wide. Traffic funnels into two lanes beyond the barrier.

07/27/07