U.S. Route 40 in New Jersey

U.S. Route 40 (US 40) is a U.S. highway running from Silver Summit, Utah east to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The easternmost segment of the route runs through the southern part of New Jersey between the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where it continues into Delaware along with Interstate 295 (I-295), east to Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, Atlantic County, and Atlantic counties as well as the boroughs of Woodstown, Elmer, Newfield, and Buena. The route encounters a mix of rural, suburban, and urban environs throughout its journey across South Jersey.

In 1923, pre-1927 Route 18S was to run from Penns Grove to Atlantic City along much of present-day US 40 in New Jersey. US 40 was signed along Route 18S in 1926, running from a ferry in Penns Grove that crossed the Delaware River to Wilmington, Delaware. In 1927, Route 18S was renumbered to Route 48. The portion of US 40 in Atlantic City was legislated as Route 55 in 1938, around the same time the route was moved to a ferry across the Delaware River between Pennsville and New Castle, Delaware. After the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the New Jersey Turnpike were both completed in 1951, US 40 was moved to its current alignment in the area. In 1953, the Route 48 and Route 55 designations along US 40 were removed. A toll freeway was once planned along the US 40 corridor in the 1980s to alleviate traffic, but it was never built after it was deemed the traffic volume was not high enough for it to be constructed.

Route description

Salem County

US 40 enters New Jersey along with I-295 from Delaware on the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River. The road heads southeast into Salem County as an eight-lane freeway maintained by the Delaware River and Bay Authority that passes through industrial areas. I-295/US 40 interchanges with the southern terminus of US 130 and the western terminus of Route 49, where I-295 splits from US 40 by turning northeast on a freeway that soon overlaps CR 551 briefly while US 40 follows the four-lane New Jersey Turnpike and continues east on it for a short distance, entering Carneys Point Township. US 40 splits from the New Jersey Turnpike at the last exit before the toll barrier, the same point where Route 140 heads west and CR 540 heads to the east. From this point, US 40 becomes an at-grade, four-lane divided highway maintained by the New Jersey Department of Transportation called Wiley Road that runs a short distance south of the New Jersey Turnpike, containing a wide median. It continues into rural areas consisting of woods, farms, and residences, heading farther to the south of the New Jersey Turnpike.

Upon meeting the eastern terminus of Route 48, US 40 turns to the southeast and becomes the Harding Highway, a two-lane undivided road that passes through more agricultural areas. Upon crossing CR 646, the road enters Pilesgrove Township and continues past the Cowtown Rodeo. The route passes through the residential community of Sharptown before coming to an intersection with Route 45. At this point, US 40 turns to the northeast to run concurrent on Route 45 and enters Woodstown, where it becomes West Avenue and passes residences before reaching the downtown area. Here, Route 45 splits from US 40 by heading north on Main Street and US 40 continues to the east as East Avenue. The route passes through more developed areas, crossing the Southern Railroad of New Jersey's Salem Branch line and heading north of Woodstown High School. The route crosses from Woodstown into Pilesgrove Township again, where it turns east-southeast as Harding Highway and heads back into a mix of fields and woods amid homes. About after entering Upper Pittsgrove Township, the road crosses CR 581. In the community of Pole Tavern further to the east, US 40 encounters Route 77, CR 604, and CR 635 at the Pole Tavern Circle. Past Pole Tavern, the road passes more farm fields before coming to Elmer, where it becomes Chestnut Street. In Elmer, the route passes homes and makes a turn to the northeast onto Front Street. Upon leaving Elmer, US 40 becomes Harding Highway again and forms the border of Upper Pittsgrove Township to the north and Pittsgrove Township to the south, passing through forested areas among development. The route crosses CR 553 before passing through the community of Porchtown.

Gloucester and Atlantic counties

After Porchtown, US 40 crosses into Franklin Township in Gloucester County, turning southeast and running through more woods. It comes to a cloverleaf interchange with Route 55, where US 40 is briefly a four-lane divided highway. Past Route 55, the route continues past Malaga Lake and comes to the community of Malaga. In Malaga, the route heads into a business district and intersects Route 47, turning to the northeast to run concurrent on a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane through inhabited areas. After passing over Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Vineland Secondary railroad line, US 40 and Route 47 split. Route 47 heads north and US 40 turns south and continues parallel to the railroad tracks. The road makes a turn to the east-southeast, leaving Malaga and returning to areas of farmland and trees. The road briefly runs along the northern border of Newfield before coming to a crossroads with CR 555. After passing near the Vineland-Downstown Airport, US 40 intersects CR 557 and forms a concurrency with that route.

Immediately after CR 557 joins US 40, the road enters Buena, Atlantic County

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases