Highways of Bergen County, New Jersey

NJ 120 was born as NJ 3. The northernmost mile and a half follows Paterson Plank Road, a highway from Hoboken to Paterson that is more than two centuries old. 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.

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 was built high enough that a drawbridge was unnecessary. 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.

The Paterson Plank Road section was dropped from the state highway system in 1953, but resurrected in 1973 and marked for upgrades as an access road to the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

After the completion of NJ S-3 (now 3), the highway was designated NJ 20, to match McLean Boulevard in Paterson, which was also part of the original NJ 3. In 1988, plans to reconnect the roads were officially abandoned and this part of NJ 20 was renamed 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, CR 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

0.00 NJ 120 BEGINS, East Rutherford Boro

0.00 NJ 120 NJ 3 ({overpass}) [{merge}]

0.27 NJ 120 Sports Complex access road {underpass}

0.45 NJ 120 Sports Complex pedestrian crossing {underpass}

0.74 NJ 120 Sports Complex access road {underpass}

0.78 NJ 120 (CR 503 {merge})

1.03 NJ 120 CR 503 {overpass}

1.18 Entering (East Rutherford Boro) [Carlstadt Boro]

1.18 NJ 120 Paterson Plank Rd {merge}

1.33 Paterson Plank Rd U-turn jughandles {signal}

1.56 Paterson Plank Rd Gotham Pkwy {signal}

1.80 Paterson Plank Rd U-turn jughandles {signal}

2.07 Paterson Plank Rd Berry's Creek {bridge}

2.26 Paterson Plank Rd (Murray Hill Pkwy) [20th St] {signal}

2.55 Paterson Plank Rd 13th St {overpass}

2.56 Entering East Rutherford Boro

2.57 Paterson Plank Rd Erie Railroad {overpass}

2.60 Paterson Plank Rd NJ 17 ramps {signal}

2.65 Paterson Plank Rd NJ 17 {overpass}

2.65 NJ 120 ENDS, East Rutherford Boro

Note: For continuation of road, see CR 120. CR 120 is inventoried west to east; the end of CR 120 and the end of NJ 120 are the same point.

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Mile	Street Name	Feature
0.00	NJ 120 BEGINS, East Rutherford Boro
0.00	NJ 120	NJ 3 ({overpass}) [{merge}]
0.27	NJ 120	Sports Complex access road {underpass}
0.45	NJ 120	Sports Complex pedestrian crossing {underpass}
0.74	NJ 120	Sports Complex access road {underpass}
0.78	NJ 120	(CR 503 {merge})
1.03	NJ 120	CR 503 {overpass}
1.18	Entering (East Rutherford Boro) [Carlstadt Boro]
1.18	NJ 120	Paterson Plank Rd {merge}
1.33	Paterson Plank Rd	U-turn jughandles {signal}
1.56	Paterson Plank Rd	Gotham Pkwy {signal}
1.80	Paterson Plank Rd	U-turn jughandles {signal}
2.07	Paterson Plank Rd	Berry's Creek {bridge}
2.26	Paterson Plank Rd	(Murray Hill Pkwy) [20th St] {signal}
2.55	Paterson Plank Rd	13th St {overpass}
2.56	Entering East Rutherford Boro
2.57	Paterson Plank Rd	Erie Railroad {overpass}
2.60	Paterson Plank Rd	NJ 17 ramps {signal}
2.65	Paterson Plank Rd	NJ 17 {overpass}
2.65	NJ 120 ENDS, East Rutherford Boro