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Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through
Passaic
Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...
, Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. The route, originally laid in the colonial era, connects the city of Paterson and the Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
waterfront. It has largely been superseded by Route 3, but in the many towns it passes it has remained an important local thoroughfare, and in some cases been renamed.
History
Portions of the road were at times called New Barbadoes Turnpike, fromNew Barbadoes Neck
New Barbadoes Neck is the name given in the colonial era for the peninsula in northeastern New Jersey, US between the lower Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, in what is now western Hudson County and southern Bergen County. The neck begins in the ...
, the name of the peninsula between the rivers it crossed, the Hackensack and the Passaic
Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...
. Many plank roads in the United States were developed in the nineteenth century. These roads consisted of wooden boards laid adjacently to prevent coach and wagon wheels from getting bogged down in soft or swampy ground, thereby creating an even surface that would facilitate travel. Normally a toll was charged. This technology was applied to the Paterson Plank Road and similar roads, the Hackensack Plank Road
The Hackensack Plank Road, also known as Bergen Turnpike, was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken and Hackensack, New Jersey. Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road and Paterson Plank Road, it travelled over Bergen Hill a ...
and the Newark Plank Road
The Newark Plank Road was a major artery between Hudson Waterfront at Paulus Hook (in today's Jersey City) and city of Newark further inland across the New Jersey Meadows. As its name suggests, a plank road was constructed of wooden planks laid ...
, which also traversed the Hackensack Meadows to the cities for which they are named. The Bergen Point Plank Road
The Jersey City and Bergen Point Plank Road was a road originally built in the 19th century in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States which ran between Paulus Hook and Bergen Point. The company that built the road received a charter on March 6 ...
travelled from Paulus Hook
Paulus Hook is a community on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Kill Van Kull
__NOTOC__
The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States. It is approximately long and wide and connects Newark Bay with Upper New York Bay. The Robbins Reef Light marks the ...
. The company which built the Paterson and New York Plank Road, as it was called, received its charter on March 14, 1851. Over time it was upgraded and at one point had streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
lines on its entire length operated by the Public Service Railway
Transport of New Jersey (TNJ), earlier Public Service Transportation and then Public Service Coordinated Transport, was a street railway and bus company in the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1917 to 1980, when NJ Transit took over their operations ...
as the 15 Passaic, 17 Hudson, and 35 Secaucus.
Passaic County
InPassaic County
Passaic County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the population of Passaic County was enumerated at 524,118, an increase of 22,892 (4.6%) from t ...
, Paterson Plank Road has become part of County Route 601, traveling southeast from downtown Paterson through the city through where it is known as Main Street, and becoming Main Avenue in Clifton
Clifton may refer to:
People
*Clifton (surname)
*Clifton (given name)
Places
Australia
* Clifton, Queensland, a town
**Shire of Clifton
*Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong
*Clifton, Western Australia
Canada
*Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
and Passaic
Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...
. The Clifton and Paterson sections of the road are never more than 2-3 blocks from the former railroad route Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Erie ...
Main Line, much of the extra width of the street having been converted into vehicular parking. (The current New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
Main Line
Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to:
Transportation
Railway
* Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system
* Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...
is now located farther west.) This route passes high density commercial centers or the downtown of the three cities. A crossing of the Passaic River
Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...
at the location was first created in the colonial era, and was known as Acquackanonk Bridge burned during Washington's 1776 great retreat from Fort Lee. Today's Gregory Avenue Bridge was built on a slightly different alignment.
Bergen County
After crossing intoBergen County
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.County Route 120, through Wallington, residential and light density commercial. The road becomes the border between Wallington to the north and 
Several new hotels, restaurants and nightclubs were built in anticipation of the increase in traffic from American Dream. The road passes to the north of the
The road picks up again in
East Rutherford
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
to the south. Shortly the end of Wallington is reached and Paterson Ave is then the border between Carlstadt and East Rutherford for a short distance but then the road dips into East Rutherford to avoid a hill (the bypass, which goes over the hill, is called Hoboken Road).
The road returns to its path along the Carlstadt-East Rutherford border at Route 17 which it crosses over via an overpass, and is then designated as Route 120 and Paterson Plank Road for a distance. This section of the highway is in the low-lying area known as the New Jersey Meadowlands, part of the floodplain of the Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...
. Originally this section consisted of planks laid side-to-side to form a makeshift road to prevent carriage wheels from getting stuck in the swamp, but it has since been reclaimed.
Several new hotels, restaurants and nightclubs were built in anticipation of the increase in traffic from American Dream. The road passes to the north of the Meadowlands Sports Complex
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports complex located in East Rutherford, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The facility is owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).
The complex currently consi ...
. The main road, Route 120, curves to the south to follow the eastern edge of the Sports Complex southward to NJ 3, but Paterson Plank Road continues eastward via an exit ramp. Shortly after crossing over the Western Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...
it reaches the Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...
. The original bridge over the Hackensack River was destroyed by 1940. There was a proposal to rebuild the bridge as part of an extension to the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit (NJT) and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, ...
, but this was superseded by the new Meadowlands Rail Line
The Meadowlands Rail Line, branded as the BetMGM Meadowlands Rail Line as part of a naming rights agreement, is a rail line in New Jersey, United States, operated by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT). Trains run between the Meadowlands Sports Com ...
, which traverses the Hackensack River via the Berrys Creek
Berry's Creek (sometimes referred to as ''Berrys Creek'' or ''Berry Creek'') is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek watershed contains a diverse array of wetlands, marshes, and ...
railroad bridge.
Major intersections
Hudson County
The road picks up again in Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
in Secaucus
Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,County Route 681. A small riverfront park, Trolley Park is so named for the cars of the
NJ State Route
{{Coord, 40, 47, 29.5, N, 74, 3, 30, W, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NJ, display=title Transportation in Bergen County, New Jersey Transportation in Hudson County, New Jersey Transportation in Passaic County, New Jersey Streets in Hudson County, New Jersey Turnpikes in New Jersey Streets in Bergen County, New Jersey Streets in Passaic County, New Jersey Crossings of the Hackensack River Plank road
Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway
The Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway was incorporated in 1893, and leased from 1894-1899 to the New Jersey Electric Railway Company. The line was operated by Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Street Railway. The track length ...
that passed or terminated there. There is a bus park-and-ride in the North End. The road travels mostly southward through the residential area until it crosses over NJ 3, and then turns southeast, forming the main street of Secaucus Plaza, the town's medium density central business district. The road crosses over Route 3 again, near another park-and-ride. It crosses over U.S. Route 1/9 (Tonnelle Ave) in North Bergen
North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a ...
and turns sharply southward to parallel it and is even heading south-southwest as it climbs the west side New Jersey Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...
to Transfer Station. It then travels southeast through Washington Park creating a border between Union City and Jersey City Heights
The Heights or Jersey City Heights is a district in the north end of Jersey City, New Jersey, atop the New Jersey Palisades overlooking Hoboken to the east and Croxton in the Meadowlands to the west.
The southern border of The Heights is ge ...
.
At the edge of the cliff turning south-southwest it is joined by the Wing Viaduct and descends the eastern side of the Palisades into Hoboken
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...
where it ends at Observer Highway. In 2009, a study was funded for exploring the re-routing of the road near its terminus. The last portion is one of the few roads that run along the face of the Hudson Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs st ...
escarpment other being the Hackensack Plank Road
The Hackensack Plank Road, also known as Bergen Turnpike, was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken and Hackensack, New Jersey. Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road and Paterson Plank Road, it travelled over Bergen Hill a ...
, the Wing Viaduct, Pershing Road, and Bulls Ferry Road. Two streets join this part: Holland Street and Mountain Road, the latter making a smaller and larger hairpin turn
A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal hai ...
between Jersey City Heights
The Heights or Jersey City Heights is a district in the north end of Jersey City, New Jersey, atop the New Jersey Palisades overlooking Hoboken to the east and Croxton in the Meadowlands to the west.
The southern border of The Heights is ge ...
and Hoboken
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...
. ( Shippen Street in Weehawken
Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.
makes a double hairpin
A hairpin or hair pin is a long device used to hold a person's hair in place. It may be used simply to secure long hair out of the way for convenience or as part of an elaborate hairstyle or coiffure. The earliest evidence for dressing the hai ...
.)
New Jersey Transit bus routes 82 and 85 make use of the road.
Major intersections
See also
* * *List of turnpikes in New Jersey
This is a list of turnpike roads, built and operated by private companies in exchange for the privilege of collecting a toll, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, mainly in the 19th century. While most of the roads are now maintained as free public ro ...
*Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway
The Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway was incorporated in 1893, and leased from 1894-1899 to the New Jersey Electric Railway Company. The line was operated by Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Street Railway. The track length ...
*List of crossings of the Hackensack River
The Hackensack River courses southward for approximately through Rockland County in New York and Bergen and Hudson counties in northeastern New Jersey, forming the border of the latter two for part of its length. Its source, as identified by th ...
References
External links
NJ State Route
{{Coord, 40, 47, 29.5, N, 74, 3, 30, W, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NJ, display=title Transportation in Bergen County, New Jersey Transportation in Hudson County, New Jersey Transportation in Passaic County, New Jersey Streets in Hudson County, New Jersey Turnpikes in New Jersey Streets in Bergen County, New Jersey Streets in Passaic County, New Jersey Crossings of the Hackensack River Plank road