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 ...

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.County Route 511 (CR 511) in Ringwood,

Passaic 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 ...

, passing through

Ringwood State Park Ringwood State Park is a state park in Passaic County in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The Park is located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains in Ringwood. Its forests are part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion. It contains th ...

in the Ramapo Mountains. It is a major route for those in the Ringwood and Wanaque area to get to Interstate 287. The road is also known as County Route S91 in Bergen County and County Route 692 in Passaic County. County Route S91 continues south for 0.73 miles from the southern terminus of Skyline Drive on West Oakland Avenue to

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massa ...

(US 202). The road offers a brief view of the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

skyline A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land. City skylines ...

, away, while heading southbound. The steep and narrow road is often impassable in winter due to ice and snow and is as high as 900 ft above sea-level in some places along the route. As of April 1, 2001, the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

imposed a ban on trucks exceeding 10 tons from using Skyline Drive. This ban follows an incident in December 2000, in which three Ringwood residents were killed by a 40-ton dump truck that had lost control on the roadway and fell to its side.

Route description

County Route S-91 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 202 (co-signed as Bergen County Route 91 due to county maintenance) in the community of

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

. The route heads westward as West Oakland Avenue, crossing over the

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in th ...

's New Jersey Subdivision line and paralleling to the south of Interstate 287. After intersecting with the ramps from Exit 58 of the interstate, Route S-91 continues westward through a large residential and commercial portion of Oakland. The route crosses over the nearby Ramapo River and continues westward to a traffic light with Skyline Drive in Oakland. At this point, Route S-91 continues northward along Skyline Drive, crossing under the mainline of Interstate 287 and entering the nearby partial cloverleaf interchange. After the interchange, Skyline Drive continues northward and ascends through the nearby woodlands, passing by residences in spurts. The route begins to progress its way to the northwest, crossing into the nearby

Ringwood State Park Ringwood State Park is a state park in Passaic County in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The Park is located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains in Ringwood. Its forests are part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion. It contains th ...

. While traversing the park, Route S-91 and Skyline Drive cross the county line into Passaic County, where the route becomes County Route 692 for a short distance. After making a gradual curve to the northeast, Route 692 crosses back into Bergen County and becomes Route S-91 once again. Continuing a short distance through the state park and after crossing a dirt road, Skyline Drive crosses the county line once again. Route 208 signage on Skyline Drive

After crossing back into Passaic County, Skyline Drive (and County Route 692) continue northward through Ringwood State Park before curving its way out of the northern reaches of the park. At this point, the highway enters the borough of Ringwood, where the dense forestry changes back to residences. The route continues through Ringwood, crossing several local streets and turning to the northwest once again. Just before the intersection with Countryside Lane, Skyline Drive turns to the northeast and once again, enters the dense forestry. After crossing through a large residential complex, the highway continues curving its way northward, turning westward one final time at the intersection with Erskine Road. After the curve, Skyline Drive and County Route 692 continue the short stretch westward, terminating at County Route 511 (the Greenwood Lake Turnpike) in the community of Ringwood, near the shores of the

Wanaque Reservoir Wanaque Reservoir is a man-made lake located within Wanaque and Ringwood, New Jersey along the Wanaque River. The reservoir came into being in 1928 by the construction of the Raymond Dam along the river in Wanaque. Besides the Wanaque River, th ...

.

History

The corridor of Skyline Drive was first designated to have a state highway in a 1929 amendment to the 1927 highway renumbering, when State Highway Route S-4-B was legislated as a spur of State Highway Route 4, a cross-state highway.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319. This replaced earlier plans that had called for State Highway 3 to service the area, albeit through a more southerly corridor directly through

Pompton Lakes Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,097, However, this designation was changed once again after another state highway renumbering in 1953, when it was re-designated as part of State Route 208. The alignment of Route 208 was planned to be upgraded into a limited access freeway through the

Wanaque Reservoir Wanaque Reservoir is a man-made lake located within Wanaque and Ringwood, New Jersey along the Wanaque River. The reservoir came into being in 1928 by the construction of the Raymond Dam along the river in Wanaque. Besides the Wanaque River, th ...

and Greenwood Lake northward to the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

state line (to connect with the

New York State Route 208 New York State Route 208 (NY 208) is a state highway located in southern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 17M in the Orange County village of Monroe. Its northern terminus is lo ...

's new freeway). There was also to be an interchange with Skyline Drive and West Oakland Avenue near the current interchange with Interstate 287. The $66.3 million project was canceled in the 1970s due to costs and environmental concerns. Skyline Drive Truck Signs

After being extended to West Oakland Avenue, Route 208 ended near Skyline Drive, where drivers could continue northward to Ringwood and Erskine. The alignment of Route 208 remained along Skyline Drive during the 1960s, and was truncated in 1993 with the completion of Interstate 287. Route 208 was truncated to its current terminus with Interstate 287 in Oakland. After a massive accident with a dump truck in December 2000, the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

passed rules banning trucks from using Skyline Drive in April 2001, to 10-ton limits. The ban however, did not include buses.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{commonscat Transportation in Bergen County, New Jersey Transportation in Passaic County, New Jersey Streets in Passaic County, New Jersey

Route description

History

Major intersections

See also

References

External links