Route 85 (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Route 85, also known as the Hoboken Freeway, was a proposed 7.6 miles (12.2 km) long limited-access highway in Hudson County
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...

 and Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. The freeway was planned to begin at an interchange with Interstate 78
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...

 near the Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...

 approach in Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...

, northward through North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...

 on its way to Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...

, where the highway would interchange with Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...

 near the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...

.

The original plans for the Hoboken Freeway date to September 1956, when the New Jersey State Highway Department, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway...

 and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...

 came to an agreement of a 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long freeway from Interstate 78 to the Lincoln Tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...

 approach. The route's northern terminus would be near the Port Authority's piers in North Bergen. The proposal was given an attempt for interstate highway designation in 1957, which was denied by the Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...

. The $9 million (USD) freeway proposal was advocated for several years by several agencies, and in 1966, two of these, the Regional Plan Association
Regional Plan Association
The Regional Plan Association is an independent, not-for-profit regional planning organization, founded in 1922, that focuses on recommendations to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the 31-county New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region...

 and the Tri-State Transportation Commission put forward an extension northward to the George Washington Bridge approach in Fort Lee.

History

On January 20, 1956, the three major agencies in New Jersey regarding transportation, the New Jersey State Highway Department, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway...

, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...

 reached an agreement to construct a freeway from the Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...

 to the Lincoln Tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...

, which serves both states. The route, known as the Hoboken Freeway, was to start at Interstate 78
Interstate 78 in New Jersey
Interstate 78 is an east–west route stretching from Union Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania to New York City. In New Jersey, I-78 is called the Phillipsburg–Newark Expressway and the Newark Bay Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike...

 and the Newark Bay Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...

 northward towards the Lincoln Tunnel, where it would also serve the Port Authority's piers in the city of Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

. The State Highway Department also put forth a possible extension from the Port Authority docks northward to the Lincoln Tunnel. At the time, the Port Authority and the Turnpike Authority would both pay a percentage to build the highway. This was divided 60-40 with the Turnpike Authority paying the 60% and the Port Authority paying the other 40. The project according to the state agencies would relieve congestion on the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...

 and throughout Hoboken. The original cost to construct the 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long freeway was situated at about $9 million (1956 USD), but would be up for future changes.

Eight months later, on September 20, 1956, it was announced that the Newark Bay Extension of the Turnpike was going to open a week from that day, and that the extension to Hoboken had ballooned to a cost of $18 million (1956 USD) for the first 0.8 miles (1.3 km). This project would also tie in with the construction of a new interchange between the Turnpike and U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...

 in the general area of current-day New Jersey Route 81 in Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...

. A year after the project was announced, the State Highway Department decided that the route should become part of the Interstate highway system along with New Jersey Route 58
New Jersey Route 58
Route 58 is a former state highway in the city of Newark, New Jersey and nearby borough of Harrison, New Jersey. The highway ran from Orange and Hecker Streets in Newark, eastbound as a four-lane freeway across the William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge to Harrison, where it terminated at an...

 (the Essex Freeway) would receive funding to help the commercial areas of northeastern New Jersey. Using Federal Aid Improvement Route 105, which had been originally conceived for New Jersey Route 3, the Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...

 supported funding for Route 58 (which eventually became Interstate 280
Interstate 280 (New Jersey)
Interstate 280 is a Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It provides a spur from I-80 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County to Newark, and I-95 Interstate 280 (abbreviated I-280) is a Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It provides a spur from I-80 in...

 upon completion), but did not support funding the Hoboken Freeway.
Although the request for Interstate funding did not succeed, the authorities continued to push forward for the Hoboken Freeway throughout the next several years. During that time, the freeway received the Route 85 designation, and the Tri-State Transportation Commission (along with the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...

) released information on the effects of building the new highway. According to the statement, the new freeway would head from the Holland Tunnel Approach in Jersey City northward to Weehawken, where it would meet Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (New York)
Interstate 495 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. The route extends for from the western portal of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Manhattan to County Route 58 in Riverhead, Suffolk County...

 at the Lincoln Tunnel. The waterfront highway, as referred to, would serve the heavy industry, high-density population, and the redevelopment for the waterfront. Route 85 would also serve as a backup to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

's West Side Highway
West Side Highway
The West Side Highway is a mostly surface section of New York State Route 9A that runs from West 72nd Street along the Hudson River to the southern tip of Manhattan. It replaced the West Side Elevated Highway, built between 1929 and 1951, which was shut down in 1973 due to neglect and lack of...

 (New York State Route 9A
New York State Route 9A
New York State Route 9A is a state highway in the vicinity of New York City, New York, United States. Its southern terminus is at the northern end of the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel in New York City, where it intersects with both Interstate 478 and FDR Drive. The northern terminus of...

) as a controlled access distributor. This would relieve congestion on the West Side Highway and create a backup route between both tunnels. The state of New Jersey passed a bill in 1965 adding the new Route 85 Freeway to the state law.

In 1966, the Tri-State Transportation Commission along with the Regional Plan Association
Regional Plan Association
The Regional Plan Association is an independent, not-for-profit regional planning organization, founded in 1922, that focuses on recommendations to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the 31-county New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region...

 proposed an extension further northward to the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...

 in Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...

. The two agencies saw the proposed freeway as an integral part of starting Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 development of the communities in its path. The agencies also noted it was also be an important part of preserving the New Jersey Palisades
New Jersey Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson Palisades are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in northeastern New Jersey and southern New York in the United States. The cliffs stretch north from Jersey City approximately 20 mi to near...

, a mountain range in northern New Jersey. However, constructing this freeway was halted when problems relating to engineering such a highway, the economic cost, and environmental concerns arose. The political community also had an issue in constructing the highway, as creating a six-lane freeway through the established communities would be daunting. $3 billion (1966 USD) was allocated for the construction of the Route 85 Freeway from the Holland Tunnel to the George Washington Bridge. Local residents demanded an agency be included in the plan to preserve the Palisades and that it be done quick. The proposed price to construct the Route 85 Freeway in 1969 had ballooned from the original $18 million to $110 million (1969 USD).

Proposed route

According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation in 1972, the Route 85 Freeway would have begun at an interchange with Interstate 78 (the Newark Bay Extension and the Holland Tunnel Approach) in the community of Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...

. The route would head northward as an eight-lane freeway, changing to ten-lanes at Sip Avenue. The ten lanes would be in an express-local format, with two local lanes serving interchanges and three express lanes for faster approaches. The route have its second interchange at the Pulaski Skyway
Pulaski Skyway
The General Pulaski Skyway is a four-lane freeway composed of connected bridges in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, carrying the designation of U.S. Route 1/9 for most of its length. The landmark structure has a total length of with the longest bridge spanning...

 with U.S. Routes 1 and 9 in Jersey City, where it would parallel the congested two-lane Tonnelle Avenue. The route would continue northward, paralleling the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...

's eastern spur, interchanging with New Jersey Route 3 in North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...

. Route 85 would continue northward as a ten-lane freeway to an interchange with Interstate 495 (now NJ 495), which would serve access to the Lincoln Tunnel.

At the interchange with Interstate 495 in North Bergen, the freeway would shrink to two lanes in each direction, using variable medians and wide shoulders. Route 85 would continue northward through North Bergen, interchanging with 69th Street before crossing the county line into Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

. There, the four-lane freeway would interchange with U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...

 in the community of Ridgefield
Ridgefield, New Jersey
There were 4,020 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone...

. From there, Route 85 would continue through Bergen County until interchanging with Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...

 at the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...

 approach in Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...

. There, the freeway and the Route 85 designation would terminate.

Proposed interchanges

{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Mile
!#
Exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....


!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=5|Hudson
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...


|rowspan=2|Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...


|0.0
|1
| (Holland Tunnel Approach, Newark Bay Extension)
|Proposed southern terminus of NJ 85
|-

|2
| (Pulaski Skyway
Pulaski Skyway
The General Pulaski Skyway is a four-lane freeway composed of connected bridges in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, carrying the designation of U.S. Route 1/9 for most of its length. The landmark structure has a total length of with the longest bridge spanning...

)
|
|-
|rowspan=3|North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...



|3
| (Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey originally lain in the colonial era. The route, connecting the city Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront, still exists...

)
|
|-

|4
| (Lincoln Tunnel Approach)
|Now New Jersey Route 495
Original proposed northern terminus
|-

|5
|69th Street
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Bergen
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...


|Ridgefield
Ridgefield, New Jersey
There were 4,020 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone...



|6
|
|
|-
|Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...


|7.6
|7
| (George Washington Bridge Approach)
|Proposed northern terminus of NJ 85
Now area of Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in New Jersey
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...



See also

  • New Jersey Route 185
    New Jersey Route 185
    Route 185 is a short state highway in Jersey City in the U.S. state of New Jersey, between Route 440 and Linden Avenue. Route 185 is a freeway in the Greenville neighborhood of Jersey City. It is parallel to Interstate 78 on the eastern side...

    - an unfinished freeway serving the same area as Route 85 would.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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