State Highways of New Jersey


NJ 120 was born as NJ 3. The northernmost mile and a half follows Paterson Plank Road, which started out as a turnpike in the early 19th century. It was originally laid out on planks through the Hackensack meadows, thus the name. Paterson Plank Road was signed as NJ 3 in the years prior to construction of the Lincoln Tunnel, although the road was not maintained by the State Highway Commission.

The southern section of NJ 120 was originally a realignment of NJ 3 in the early 1930s to a new bridge south of the existing Paterson Plank Road bridge over the Hackensack River, extending the old Moonachie Road. The new bridge, which opened in 1934, was built as a drawbridge and then raised and rehabilitated as a fixed bridge in the 1960s. To this day, eastbound traffic on NJ 3 uses this bridge. The old Paterson Plank Road bridge was removed after the NJ 3 span was opened; every once in a while, someone resurrects plans to rebuild the span, but those plans have never come close to fruition.

When plans to build the original NJ 3 to and beyond Paterson were abandoned, the state-maintained highway from NJ 3 to Paterson Plank Road was designated NJ 20, along with McLean Boulevard in Paterson, which was also part of the original NJ 3. Then in 1973, the state took over Paterson Plank Road between the previous north end of NJ 20 and NJ 17, as part of a project to provide access to the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

In 1988, plans to connect the disparate sections of NJ 20 were officially abandoned, and this part of NJ 20 was designated NJ 120. Had NJDOT been thinking historically, they might have called this road 103 instead. Then again, it does connect to CR 120 at NJ 17.

At one time, SR 503 was signed along NJ 120 all the way down to NJ 3, but this is no longer the case. A sign on NJ 3 westbound in East Rutherford now designates the exit TO CR 503.

Mile Street Name Feature
  Road continues westward as CR 120Paterson Ave
2.65 Northern terminus of NJ 120, East Rutherford Boro, Bergen Co
2.65 Paterson Plank Rd NJ 17 overpass NJ 17
2.60 Paterson Plank Rd Ramp from NJ 17 north Signal Ramp to NJ 17 north
2.57 Paterson Plank Rd Erie Railroad overpass Erie Railroad
2.56 Paterson Plank Rd     East Rutherford Boro, Bergen Co
Carlstadt Boro, Bergen Co
2.55 Paterson Plank Rd Plant entrance overpass 13 St
2.26 Paterson Plank Rd Murray Hill Pkwy Signal 20 St
2.07 Paterson Plank Rd Berrys Creek bridge Berrys Creek
1.80 Paterson Plank Rd Exit from Sports Complex Signal  
1.56 Paterson Plank Rd   Signal Gotham Pkwy
1.33 Paterson Plank Rd U-turn ramp Signal U-turn ramp
1.18 Paterson Plank Rd     Carlstadt Boro, Bergen Co
East Rutherford Boro, Bergen Co
1.03 NJ 120   overpass SR 503
0.78 NJ 120 SR 503 merge SR 503
0.74 NJ 120 Sports Complex access road underpass Sports Complex access road
0.45 NJ 120 Sports Complex pedestrian crossing underpass Sports Complex pedestrian crossing
0.27 NJ 120 Sports Complex access road underpass Sports Complex access road
0.00 NJ 120 NJ 3 merge NJ 3
0.00 Southern terminus of NJ 120, East Rutherford Boro, Bergen Co

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