New Jersey Turnpike - Route Description

Route Description

The main road of the New Jersey Turnpike splits from I-295 in Carneys Point Township and runs a north-northeast route to Ridgefield Park, where the road continues as I-95. It is designated Route 700, an unsigned route, from Exit 1 (Delaware Memorial Bridge) to Exit 6, and as I-95 from Exit 6 (Mansfield Township) to Exit 18 (Secaucus/Carlstadt). The number of lanes ranges from 4 lanes south of Exit 4 (Mount Laurel Township), 6 lanes between Exit 4 and Exit 8A (Monroe Township), 10 lanes between Exit 8A and Exit 9 (East Brunswick), 12 lanes between Exit 9 and Exit 11 (Woodbridge Township), and 14 lanes between Exit 11 and Exit 14 (Newark).

Before the advent of the Interstate Highways, the entire Turnpike was designated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation as Route 700, with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension being Route 700P and the Newark Bay Hudson County Extension being Route 700N. None of these state highway designations have ever been signed.

Beginning just south of Exit 8A, the Turnpike splits into a "dual-dual" configuration similar to a local-express configuration, with the outer lanes open to all vehicles and the inner lanes limited to cars only, unless signed otherwise because of unusual conditions. Specifically, starting in Monroe Township (going north), the Turnpike has a total of 10 lanes, 5 in each direction (2-3-3-2). From East Brunswick, the Turnpike has a total of 12 lanes, 6 in each direction (3-3-3-3). From Woodbridge Township to Newark, High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes exist on the outer roadway (outer truck lanes), thereby making it 7 lanes in each direction (4-3-3-4). The HOV lanes are in effect on weekdays, from 6:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. northbound, and 4 p.m.–7 p.m. southbound (at times, the Turnpike Authority might suspend the HOV restrictions entirely during peak hours in case of unusual conditions).

North of Exit 14, the Turnpike splits into two spurs: the Eastern Spur (the original roadway) and the Western Spur (opened in 1970). Both spurs are signed as I-95. The Western Spur is posted for through traffic on I-95 seeking Interstate 280 (I-280), the Meadowlands Sports Complex, and the George Washington Bridge. Traffic seeking U.S. Route 46 (U.S. 46), Interstate 80 (I-80), and the Lincoln Tunnel is routed via the Eastern Spur. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), which calls every class of highway Route, calls the Western Spur Route 95W. The complex series of roadways and ramps linking the car/truck lanes, the two spurs, as well as traffic heading to and from both Exit 14 and the Newark Bay Extension is referred to by the Turnpike Authority as the "Southern Mixing Bowl".

The Turnpike also has two extensions; the first, the Newark Bay Extension, was opened in 1956 and is a part of I-78. It connects Newark with Lower Manhattan via the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City and intersects the mainline near Newark Liberty International Airport. This extension contains three exits (Exits 14A, 14B, and 14C) and due to its design (four lanes with a shoulderless Jersey barrier divider), it has a 50 mph (80 km/h) speed limit.

The second extension, known as the Pearl Harbor Extension, connects the mainline of the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 6 with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A 6-mile (10 km) long six-lane highway, it not only connects the Pennsylvania Turnpike with the mainline, but also has an exit to U.S. Route 130 (U.S. 130) near Florence. It was formerly designated as Route 700P, but is currently designated I-95 in anticipation of the completion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project in 2017.

A 4-mile (6 km) stretch of I-95 north of U.S. 46 came under Turnpike Authority jurisdiction in 1992, as NJDOT sold the road in order to balance the state budget. This section of the road travels past the interchange for I-80 and through a cut in the Hudson Palisades at GWB Plaza. This portion of the Turnpike is also "dual-dual", split into local and express lanes, as it approaches the George Washington Bridge.

A section of the Turnpike and the surrounding land in Elizabeth and Newark, New Jersey has been called "the most dangerous two miles in America" by New Jersey Homeland Security officials due to the high volume of traffic in conjunction with the density of potential terrorist targets in the surrounding area.