I-78 took a long time to build. While some of it was complete in the late 1960s, a stretch through the Watchung Mountains in Union County faced environmental battles and was not finished until the late 1980s. Also delayed until the early 1990s was its westernmost four miles in New Jersey and a 17-mile section in Pennsylvania, between Pohatcong and the south end of Allentown. The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was responsible for building the bridge between Phillipsburg and Williams Township, while PennDOT built the rest of that road and connected it west of Allentown to the existing Lehigh Valley Thruway (US 22).
East of the Hudson River, I-78 was supposed to connect the Holland Tunnel to the Manhattan Bridge over a new Lower Manhattan Expressway, but this project, one of many proposals made by long-time New York public works czar Robert Moses, was canceled in the late 1970s. I-78 is still designated for half a mile in New York, and exit ramps were built off the Manhattan Bridge for the freeway but they go nowhere.
At the New Jersey entrance to the Holland Tunnel, I-78 is officially routed along local streets with traffic lights on it. The only other instances of traffic lights on an Interstate highway are on I-180 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a local spur from I-80 to the state capitol, and a seasonal light on I-690 in Syracuse, New York, which serves the state fairgrounds. (This discounts instances where an Interstate segment terminates at a traffic light, such as I-70 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Breezewood, as well as non-freeways in Alaska and Puerto Rico that have received Interstate highway funding but are not signed as Interstate highways.)
Part of I-78 is the New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension. The Turnpike Authority mileage log for the extension is noted; NJDOT continues its highway mileage over the extension. The two logs do not necessarily correlate, as I have used Turnpike structure inventory numbers in many cases.
Mile |
Street Name |
Feature |
NJDOT |
NJTA |
|
Road continues eastward as Holland Tunnel |
67.83 |
|
Holland Tunnel |
New York City, New York Co |
Hudson River |
tunnel |
Hudson River |
Jersey City, Hudson Co |
67.20 |
|
Holland Tunnel |
Washington Blvd |
tunnel |
Washington Blvd |
67.10 |
|
12 St |
|
barrier |
Holland Tunnel toll plaza |
67.03 |
|
14 St | 12 St |
Henderson St |
|
Henderson St |
66.94 |
|
14 St | 12 St |
Grove St |
|
Grove St |
66.85 |
|
14 St | 12 St |
Erie St |
|
Erie St |
66.76 |
N8.10 |
14 St | 12 St |
Port Authority of NY & NJ jurisdiction |
Jersey Ave |
|
Jersey Ave |
New Jersey Turnpike Authority jurisdiction |
66.63 |
N7.97 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Coles St |
viaduct |
Coles St |
66.58 |
N7.92 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Monmouth St |
viaduct |
Monmouth St |
66.52 |
N7.86 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Brunswick St |
viaduct |
Brunswick St |
66.49 |
N7.83 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
|
merge |
|
66.15 |
N7.49 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Newark St |
viaduct |
Newark St |
65.80 |
N7.13 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Hudson & Manhattan Railroad |
viaduct |
Hudson & Manhattan Railroad |
65.60 |
N6.93 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Montgomery St |
viaduct |
Montgomery St |
65.57 |
N6.90 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
|
viaduct |
York St |
65.50 |
N6.83 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Bright St |
viaduct |
Bright St |
65.37 |
N6.70 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Grand St |
viaduct |
EXIT 14C Grand St |
65.32 |
N6.65 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Railroad |
viaduct |
Railroad |
65.24 |
N6.57 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Pacific St |
viaduct |
Pacific St |
65.00 |
N6.33 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Railroad |
viaduct |
Railroad |
64.92 |
N6.25 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Johnston Ave |
viaduct |
Johnston Ave |
64.79 |
N6.12 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Railroad |
viaduct |
Railroad |
64.63 |
N5.96 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Wilson St |
viaduct |
Wilson St |
64.50 |
N5.83 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Toll plaza |
barrier |
Toll plaza |
64.32 |
N5.65 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
63.90 |
N5.34 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Bayview Ave EXIT 14B |
overpass |
EXIT 14B Bayview Ave |
63.87 |
N5.31 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Jersey Central Railroad |
overpass |
Jersey Central Railroad |
63.14 |
N4.56 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
63.10 |
N4.52 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Chapel Ave |
overpass |
Chapel Ave |
62.68 |
N4.12 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Linden Ave |
overpass |
Linden Ave |
62.27 |
N3.60 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Lehigh Valley Railroad |
overpass |
Lehigh Valley Railroad |
62.14 |
N3.53 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
EXIT 14A |
overpass |
EXIT 14A |
61.91 |
N3.39 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Garfield Ave |
overpass |
Garfield Ave |
61.75 |
N3.26 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Jersey City, Hudson Co Bayonne City, Hudson Co |
61.73 |
N3.24 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Ave C |
overpass |
Ave C |
61.57 |
N3.00 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
J.F. Kennedy Blvd |
overpass |
J.F. Kennedy Blvd |
61.25 |
N2.68 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
|
bridge |
|
60.65 |
N2.23 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Bayonne City, Hudson Co |
Newark Bay |
bridge |
Newark Bay |
Newark City, Essex Co |
59.72 |
N1.15 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
Doremus Ave |
bridge |
Doremus Ave |
58.93 |
N0.36 |
New Jersey Turnpike |
New Jersey Turnpike |
bridge |
New Jersey Turnpike |
58.57 |
N0.00 |
|
New Jersey Turnpike Authority jurisdiction |
Toll plaza |
barrier |
Toll plaza |
NJDOT jurisdiction |
58.32 |
|
|
EXIT 58 |
underpass |
EXIT 58 |
58.03 |
|
|
Ramp to |
underpass |
Ramp to |
57.44 |
|
|
Ramp to EXIT 57 |
underpass |
EXIT 57 Ramp to |
57.23 |
|
|
|
underpass |
|
56.84 |
|
|
Pennsylvania Railroad |
overpass |
Pennsylvania Railroad |
56.74 |
|
|
Frelinghuysen Ave |
underpass |
Frelinghuysen Ave |
56.55 |
|
|
Jersey Central Railroad |
overpass |
Jersey Central Railroad |
56.45 |
|
|
Elizabeth AveEXIT 56 |
overpass |
EXIT 56 |
55.94 |
|
|
Bergen St |
underpass |
Bergen St |
55.69 |
|
|
Osborn St |
underpass |
Osborn St |
55.46 |
|
|
Nye Ave |
underpass |
Nye Ave |
55.29 |
|
|
Bragaw Ave |
underpass |
Bragaw Ave |
55.13 |
|
|
Leslie St |
underpass |
Leslie St |
55.00 |
|
|
Wainwright St |
underpass |
Wainwright St |
54.88 |
|
|
Lyons Ave EXIT 55 |
underpass |
EXIT 55 Lyons Ave |
54.63 |
|
|
Chancellor Ave |
underpass |
Chancellor Ave |
54.57 |
|
|
Newark City, Essex Co Irvington Twp, Essex Co |
54.40 |
|
|
Irvington Twp, Essex Co Hillside Twp, Union Co |
54.32 |
|
|
Winans Ave |
underpass |
EXIT 54 Winans Ave |
54.17 |
|
|
Railroad |
underpass |
Railroad |
54.12 |
|
|
Chestnut Ave |
underpass |
Chestnut Ave |
53.83 |
|
|
Ramsey St |
overpass |
Ramsey St |
53.67 |
|
|
Lehigh Valley Railroad |
underpass |
Lehigh Valley Railroad |
53.41 |
|
|
Garden State Pkwy |
overpass |
Garden State Pkwy |
53.34 |
|
|
Hillside Twp, Union Co |
Elizabeth River |
bridge |
Elizabeth River |
Union Twp, Union Co |
53.21 |
|
|
Union Ave |
overpass |
Union Ave |
53.12 |
|
|
Ramp to EXIT 52 |
underpass |
EXIT 52 |
52.81 |
|
|
Walker Ave |
overpass |
Walker Ave |
52.63 |
|
|
Stuyvesant Ave |
overpass |
Stuyvesant Ave |
52.21 |
|
|
Halsey St |
overpass |
Halsey St |
51.76 |
|
|
Burnet Ave |
underpass |
Burnet Ave |
51.43 |
|
|
Vaux Hall Rd EXIT 50 |
underpass |
Vaux Hall Rd |
50.58 |
|
|
Springfield Ave |
underpass |
EXIT 49 Springfield Ave |
50.58 |
|
|
Union Twp, Union Co Springfield Twp, Union Co |
50.48 |
|
|
Rahway River |
bridge |
Rahway River |
50.42 |
|
|
Springfield Twp, Union Co Millburn Twp, Essex Co |
50.23 |
|
|
Millburn Twp, Essex Co Springfield Twp, Union Co |
50.02 |
|
|
Main St |
underpass |
Main St |
49.83 |
|
|
Van Winkles Brook |
bridge |
Van Winkles Brook |
49.66 |
|
|
Morris Ave |
overpass |
Morris Ave |
49.28 |
|
|
EXIT 48 |
overpass |
EXIT 48 |
49.07 |
|
|
Baltusrol Way |
overpass |
Baltusrol Way |
49.04 |
|
|
Raritan Valley Railroad |
overpass |
Raritan Valley Railroad |
49.02 |
|
|
Troy Dr |
overpass |
Troy Dr |
48.79 |
|
|
Orchard St |
underpass |
Shunpike Rd |
48.54 |
|
|
Quarry Rd |
overpass |
Quarry Rd |
47.49 |
|
|
Baltusrol Rd |
underpass |
Baltusrol Rd |
47.15 |
|
|
Springfield Twp, Union Co Mountainside Boro, Union Co |
46.90 |
|
|
Mountainside Boro, Union Co Summit City, Union Co |
46.72 |
|
|
Glenside Ave |
underpass |
EXIT 45 Glenside Ave |
46.18 |
|
|
Wildlife crossing |
underpass |
Wildlife crossing |
45.90 |
|
|
Summit City, Union Co Berkeley Heights Twp, Union Co |
45.74 |
|
|
Nike Site Rd |
underpass |
Nike Site Rd |
45.30 |
|
|
Glenside Rd |
overpass |
Glenside Rd |
44.52 |
|
|
McMane Ave |
underpass |
EXIT 44 McMane Ave |
44.01 |
|
|
Diamond Hill Rd EXIT 43 |
overpass |
Diamond Hill Rd |
42.77 |
|
|
Plainfield Ave |
bridge |
Plainfield Ave |
42.74 |
|
|
Berkeley Heights Twp, Union Co |
Green Brook |
bridge |
Green Brook |
Watchung Boro, Somerset Co |
42.22 |
|
|
Drift Rd EXIT 41 |
underpass |
EXIT 41 Drift Rd |
41.25 |
|
|
Watchung Boro, Somerset Co Warren Twp, Somerset Co |
40.98 |
|
|
Hillcrest Rd EXIT 40 |
underpass |
EXIT 40 Hillcrest Rd |
40.40 |
|
|
Valleyview Rd |
underpass |
Valleyview Rd |
39.75 |
|
|
Stirling Rd |
underpass |
Stirling Rd |
39.01 |
|
|
Old Stirling Rd |
underpass |
Old Stirling Rd |
38.71 |
|
|
Old Mill Rd |
underpass |
Old Mill Rd |
38.52 |
|
|
Corys Brook |
bridge |
Corys Brook |
37.85 |
|
|
Mountain Ave |
underpass |
Mountain Ave |
37.39 |
|
|
King George Rd EXIT 36 |
underpass |
EXIT 36 King George Rd |
36.15 |
|
|
Dead River Rd |
underpass |
Dead River Rd |
35.36 |
|
|
Branch Dead River |
bridge |
Branch Dead River |
34.58 |
|
|
Warren Twp, Somerset Co Bernards Twp, Somerset Co |
34.58 |
|
|
Martinsville Rd EXIT 33 |
underpass |
EXIT 33 Martinsville Rd |
33.25 |
|
|
Somerville Rd |
underpass |
Somerville Rd |
32.47 |
|
|
Bernards Twp, Somerset Co Bridgewater Twp, Somerset Co |
31.96 |
|
|
Washington Valley Rd |
overpass |
Washington Valley Rd |
31.58 |
|
|
Bridgewater Twp, Somerset Co |
Chambers Brook |
culvert |
Chambers Brook |
Bedminster Twp, Somerset Co |
31.25 |
|
|
|
overpass |
|
30.87 |
|
|
north EXIT 29 |
overpass |
north |
30.80 |
|
|
south |
overpass |
EXIT 29 south |
30.32 |
|
|
Burnt Mills Rd |
overpass |
Burnt Mills Rd |
29.67 |
|
|
Bunn Rd |
underpass |
Bunn Rd |
28.81 |
|
|
North Branch Raritan River |
bridge |
North Branch Raritan River |
28.56 |
|
|
Cowperthwaite Rd |
overpass |
Cowperthwaite Rd |
27.11 |
|
|
Rattlesnake Bridge Rd EXIT 26 |
underpass |
EXIT 26 Rattlesnake Bridge Rd |
26.70 |
|
|
Bedminster Twp, Somerset Co |
Lamington River |
bridge |
Lamington River |
Readington Twp, Hunterdon Co |
25.74 |
|
|
Gulick Rd |
underpass |
Gulick Rd |
25.50 |
|
|
Readington Twp, Hunterdon Co Tewksbury Twp, Hunterdon Co |
25.39 |
|
|
Matheson Rd |
overpass |
Matheson Rd |
25.03 |
|
|
Oldwick Rd EXIT 24 |
underpass |
EXIT 24 Oldwick Rd |
24.48 |
|
|
Tewksbury Twp, Hunterdon Co |
Branch Rockaway Creek |
bridge |
Branch Rockaway Creek |
Readington Twp, Hunterdon Co |
24.38 |
|
|
Taylors Mill Rd |
underpass |
Taylors Mill Rd |
23.10 |
|
|
Readington Twp, Hunterdon Co Clinton Twp, Hunterdon Co |
23.10 |
|
|
Potterstown Rd |
underpass |
Potterstown Rd |
21.52 |
|
|
Blossom Hill Rd |
underpass |
Blossom Hill Rd |
21.12 |
|
|
Clinton Twp, Hunterdon Co Lebanon Boro, Hunterdon Co |
20.78 |
|
|
Cokesbury Rd EXIT 20 |
underpass |
Cokesbury Rd |
20.44 |
|
|
Branch Rockaway Creek |
bridge |
Branch Rockaway Creek |
20.12 |
|
|
Lebanon Boro, Hunterdon Co Clinton Twp, Hunterdon Co |
19.38 |
|
|
Petticoat Ln |
underpass |
Petticoat Ln |
19.05 |
|
|
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
18.83 |
|
|
west |
underpass |
west |
18.46 |
|
|
Beaver Ave |
overpass |
Beaver Ave |
18.34 |
|
|
|
merge |
EXIT 18 |
18.30 |
|
|
Beaver Brook |
bridge |
Beaver Brook |
18.13 |
|
|
Allerton Rd |
overpass |
Allerton Rd |
17.95 |
|
|
Beaver Brook |
bridge |
Beaver Brook |
17.87 |
|
|
north EXIT 17 |
underpass |
north |
17.72 |
|
|
Beaver Brook |
bridge |
Beaver Brook |
17.60 |
|
|
south |
underpass |
EXIT 17 south |
17.37 |
|
|
Branch Beaver Brook |
culvert |
Branch Beaver Brook |
17.33 |
|
|
Ramp from east to north |
merge |
EXIT 16 |
17.21 |
|
|
Clinton Twp, Hunterdon Co Clinton Town, Hunterdon Co |
17.11 |
|
|
Beaver Brook |
bridge |
Beaver Brook |
16.74 |
|
|
Leigh St |
overpass |
Leigh St |
16.53 |
|
|
South Branch Raritan River |
bridge |
South Branch Raritan River |
16.45 |
|
|
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
16.24 |
|
|
Trib. South Branch Raritan River |
bridge |
Trib. South Branch Raritan River |
16.20 |
|
|
Clinton Town, Hunterdon Co Franklin Twp, Hunterdon Co |
16.06 |
|
|
Franklin Twp, Hunterdon Co |
Pittstown Rd EXIT 15 |
underpass |
EXIT 15 Pittstown Rd |
Union Twp, Hunterdon Co |
15.51 |
|
|
Old Route 22 |
merge |
|
15.07 |
|
|
Old Route 22 EXIT 13 |
merge |
Old Route 22 |
14.52 |
|
|
Rupells Rd |
underpass |
Rupells Rd |
13.42 |
|
|
Charlestown-Perryville Rd EXIT 12 |
underpass |
EXIT 12 Charlestown-Perryville Rd |
12.32 |
|
|
Mulhockaway Creek |
bridge |
Mulhockaway Creek |
11.76 |
|
|
Pattenburg Rd EXIT 11 |
underpass |
EXIT 11 Pattenburg Rd |
11.32 |
|
|
Union Twp, Hunterdon Co Bethlehem Twp, Hunterdon Co |
10.00 |
|
|
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
9.77 |
|
|
Tunnel Rd |
overpass |
Tunnel Rd |
8.94 |
|
|
Turkey Hill Rd |
overpass |
Turkey Hill Rd |
8.85 |
|
|
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
7.68 |
|
|
Bethlehem Twp, Hunterdon Co |
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
Bloomsbury Boro, Hunterdon Co |
7.46 |
|
|
Old Route 22 EXIT 7 |
overpass |
EXIT 7 Old Route 22 |
7.05 |
|
|
Bloomsbury Boro, Hunterdon Co |
Musconetcong River |
bridge |
Musconetcong River |
Franklin Twp, Warren Co |
7.03 |
|
|
Bloomsbury Rd EXIT 6 |
overpass |
EXIT 6 Bloomsbury Rd |
6.90 |
|
|
Franklin Twp, Warren Co Greenwich Twp, Warren Co |
5.84 |
|
|
New Village Rd |
underpass |
New Vilage Rd |
5.48 |
|
|
Stewartsville Rd EXIT 4 |
overpass |
EXIT 4 Stewartsville Rd |
5.44 |
|
|
Pohatcong Creek |
culvert |
Pohatcong Creek |
5.05 |
|
|
Beattys Rd |
overpass |
Beattys Rd |
4.16 |
|
|
NJDOT jurisdiction |
EXIT 3 |
merge |
|
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission jurisdiction |
3.94 |
|
|
Greenwich Twp, Warren Co |
Old Route 22 |
underpass |
EXIT 3 Old Route 22 |
Pohatcong Twp, Warren Co |
3.80 |
|
|
east |
overpass |
east |
3.42 |
|
|
Pohatcong Twp, Warren Co |
Edge Rd |
underpass |
Edge Rd |
Alpha Boro, Warren Co |
2.85 |
|
|
Alpha Boro, Warren Co Pohatcong Twp, Warren Co |
2.73 |
|
|
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
2.13 |
|
|
Springtown Rd |
overpass |
Springtown Rd |
1.89 |
|
|
Pohatcong Twp, Warren Co Alpha Boro, Warren Co |
1.24 |
|
|
Alpha Boro, Warren Co Pohatcong Twp, Warren Co |
0.48 |
|
|
Carpentersville Rd |
underpass |
Carpentersville Rd |
0.15 |
|
|
Alpha Boro, Warren Co Phillipsburg Town, Warren Co |
0.05 |
|
|
Railroad |
overpass |
Railroad |
0.00 |
|
|
Phillipsburg Town, Warren Co |
Delaware River |
bridge |
Delaware River |
Williams Twp, Northampton Co |
|
|
Road continues westward as |