Highways of Bergen County, New Jersey

The original route of NJ 17N included parts of the Newark-Hackensack Turnpike (see CR 55) and parts of the Paramus Road and Franklin Turnpike (CR 62, CR 75, CR 112, CR 507). By 1928, the section of NJ 2 east of Polifly Road was open; by 1934, the current route was complete to Suffern.

As the importance of NJ 17 grew in the 1950s, it became necessary to expand the road. NJ 17 grew from four to six lanes between Rutherford and Hasbrouck Heights and through Paramus in the 1970s; the road north of Paramus was gradually improved as well, and the last traffic light in that area, at Lake Street in Ramsey, was removed in the late 1980s when a new overpass was installed. However, engineering concerns and the need to not displace business on the road have conspired to keep the highway at four lanes through Maywood and Rochelle Park, creating a bottleneck that jams rush-hour traffic daily.

The original cloverleaf at NJ 17 and NJ 4, completed in 1932, was replaced in a 1998 project that also upgraded access to the Garden State Plaza shopping center. NJ 17 was shifted about 50 feet to the west, and flyover ramps were built to carry traffic making left turns from NJ 17 onto NJ 4.

Mile	Street Name	Feature (South to North)
0.00	BEGINS, North Arlington Boro
0.00	Ridge Rd	Belleville Tpk
Southern terminus of NJ 17, as seen from eastbound NJ 7.
0.14	Ridge Rd	(Garden Terr) [Harding Ave] {signal}
0.28	Ridge Rd	(Melrose Ave) [Inman Ave] {signal}
0.39	Ridge Rd	(Ilford Ave) [Abbott Pl] {signal}
0.43	Ridge Rd	(Franklin Pl) {signal}
0.47	Ridge Rd	[Church Pl] {signal}
0.60	Ridge Rd	(Arlington Blvd) {signal}
0.77	Ridge Rd	(Crystal Pl) [Holy Cross Cemetery] {signal}
1.05	Ridge Rd	(Ridge Park Dr) [Noel Dr] {signal}
1.28	Ridge Rd	(Jauncey Ave ) [Canterbury Ave] {signal}
1.36	Entering Lyndhurst Twp
1.51	Ridge Rd	(Summer Ave) [Ten Eyck Ave] {signal}
Northbound at Kingsland Avenue. Note how NJDOT overheads now sign a road that crosses the highway, but it’s only a county road on one side.
1.66	Ridge Rd	Kingsland Ave () {signal}
1.77	Ridge Rd	Page Ave {signal}
2.03	Ridge Rd	New Jersey Ave {signal}
2.12	Ridge Rd	Valleybrook Ave {signal}
2.24	Ridge Rd	Lackawanna Railroad {overpass}
2.36	Ridge Rd	New York Ave {signal}
2.41	Ridge Rd	2nd Ave {signal}
2.53	Ridge Rd	Lake Ave {signal}
2.71	Ridge Rd	Rutherford Ave () {signal}
2.71	turns right onto Rutherford Ave
2.71	Entering (Rutherford Boro) [Lyndhurst Twp]
2.96	Rutherford Ave	Orient Way [] {signal}
3.34	Rutherford Ave	Polito Ave {signal}
3.34	Rutherford Ave ends
3.34	Entering Lyndhurst Twp
3.87	Entering Rutherford Boro
4.00		{overpass}
NJ 17 northbound, just past the NJ 3 overpass.
4.23		Dunn Service Rd {underpass}
4.73		(Meadow Rd ) | Highland Cross {signal}
4.92	Entering East Rutherford Boro
4.92		Erie Railroad {underpass}
5.15		Union Ave {signal}
5.53		Unnamed stream {pipe}
5.76		Paterson Plank Rd () [] {underpass}
5.82	Entering Carlstadt Boro
5.82		(Hoboken Rd )
6.46	Entering Wood-Ridge Boro
6.70		Moonachie Ave {underpass}
7.11	Entering Hasbrouck Heights Boro
7.15		U-turn ramps {signal}
7.69		Franklin Ave {signal}
8.34		Williams Ave () {signal}
8.42		[Ramp to {underpass}]
8.44		{underpass}
Southbound where the 1931 overpass for NJ 6 crosses. These overhead signs are just slightly younger than the overpass.
8.76		Terrace Ave {underpass}
8.92	Entering Hackensack City
1960s button copy, since replaced, just before northbound crossing of I-80.
9.13		[Bergen-Passaic Expwy {northbound overpass}]
More button copy, just after the roadway crosses I-80. These signs are gone now too.
9.33		Summit Ave {underpass}
9.57	Entering Lodi Boro
9.87		Susquehanna Railroad spur {at-grade crossing}
9.91		(Bergen-Passaic Expwy {southbound underpass})
10.19		Essex St {underpass}
10.19	Entering Maywood Boro
10.50	Entering Rochelle Park Twp
10.69		Unnamed stream {bridge}
10.76		Susquehanna Railroad spur {overpass}
10.84		Susquehanna Railroad {overpass}
10.91		Central Ave {overpass}
11.46		Passaic St {overpass}
11.55	Entering Paramus Boro
11.55		Pleasant Ave {overpass}
11.82		Farview Ave {underpass}
12.33		{overpass}
Southbound, just before the rebuilt interchange with NJ 4.
12.88		Century Rd connector; begins 1.47 miles west {underpass}
13.59		Garden State Pkwy northbound {underpass}
13.66		Garden State Pkwy southbound {underpass}
The Parkway crosses over the highway here in a dual configuration. There is no advance signage on southbound NJ 17 prior to this overhead sign.
13.97		Sprout Brook {bridge}
14.33		Midland Ave connector; begins 0.80 mile east {underpass}
14.85		St. Andrew's Brook {pipe}
14.95		Manning's Brook {pipe}
14.99		Sprout Brook {bridge}
15.07		Industrial/shopping entrance {underpass}
15.27		Sprout Brook {bridge}
15.80		Ridgewood Ave connector {underpass}
16.47		Pedestrian crossing {underpass}
16.54	Entering Ridgewood Village
16.54		[Van Emburgh Ave {northbound ramp}]
16.56		Linwood Ave {underpass}
16.88		East Saddle River Rd
And some more ancient button copy. These are unusual in that they use all capital letters. This is southbound; East Saddle River Road crosses just ahead.
17.04		Saddle River {bridge}
17.23		(Glen Ave )
17.23		(Franklin Tpk )
17.54		Pedestrian crossing {underpass}
17.88		Race Track Rd
17.88	Entering Hohokus Boro
The funkiest arrow on an exit sign in Bergen County. It is a sharp turnoff.
18.33		Hollywood Ave connector {underpass}
18.53		Branch Hohokus Creek {culvert}
18.69	Entering Waldwick Boro
18.95		Sheridan Ave {overpass}
19.02		Pedestrian crossing {underpass}
19.36	Entering Saddle River Boro
20.00		Branch Hohokus Creek {culvert}
20.19		Unnamed stream {pipe}
20.50		East Allendale Rd connector {overpass}
21.19	Entering Allendale Boro
21.38	Entering Ramsey Boro
21.70	Entering Upper Saddle River Boro
21.75		Branch Saddle River {culvert}
22.05	Entering Ramsey Boro
22.30	Entering Upper Saddle River Boro
22.56		Crescent Ave {underpass}
22.56	Entering Ramsey Boro
22.81		Ramsey Brook {culvert}
23.00		Airmount Ave []
23.55		Franklin Tpk {underpass}
23.91		Spring St connector {underpass}
24.10		Branch Ramapo River {pipe}
24.16		Erie Railroad {overpass}
24.35	Entering Mahwah Twp
24.37		Masonicus Brook {culvert}
24.60		MacArthur Blvd / Island Rd {underpass}
24.69		Masonicus Brook {culvert}
24.88		Masonicus Brook {bridge}
25.08		Masonicus Brook {bridge}
25.55		Ramapo Ave connector {underpass}
26.01		Ramapo Valley Rd {bridge}
26.04		Ramapo River {bridge}
26.40		Hillburn Rd {underpass}
26.50		ramp {underpass}
26.65		( {southbound underpass})
26.81		{merge}
26.81	Next 0.39 mile co-signed with
27.18	I-287	U-turn ramp {underpass}
27.20	ENDS, Mahwah Twp