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Interchange Index

Overhead Picture from terraserver-usa.com

Overview: This interchange consists of a three-way interchange between I-95 and a connector road, and the intersection of that connector road, I-278, and a number of local streets including NJ 439. I-95 runs north-south through the picture, and I-278 runs west to US 1/US 9 in Elizabeth and east across the Goethals Bridge into Staten Island, NY. NJ 439 runs northwesterly from the intersection just north of the grayish, curving bridge; from here Brunswick Avenue runs SW, Pulaski Street runs NE, and Trenton Avenue runs briefly eastward before turning NE. The street parallel to and north of I-278, which turns southward and passes under I-278 east of I-95, is Bay Way Avenue. (Sorry about the excessively dark picture - it's all Terraserver had.) This is exit 13 from the New Jersey Turnpike/I-95; I-95 is exit 3 from I-278, and the local streets are collectively exit 2.

Interchange Description: We will start with the simpler half of the interchange: the junction between I-95 and the connector road. At this point, the New Jersey Turnpike has a dual-carriageway configuration; one carriageway is reserved for cars only, while the other is open to trucks, buses, and the like. As a result, each ramp in the three-way interchange splits at one end to provide access to each carriageway without weaving.
The connector road at I-95 exit 13 runs from this three-way interchange through a rather wide toll booth, and then meets I-278 and a number of local streets. Here is where the fun begins. If one ignores the ramps to and from the local roads, the interchange between the Exit 13 connector and I-278 is fairly simple; I-278 westbound has a left exit and a right entrance, and the ramp from I-95 to I-278 is anti-directional (the ramp to I-278 EB is to the left of WB). Notice also the stubs of ghost ramps in the median of I-278 where the Turnpike ramps join; these were part of a proposed extension of I-278 WB to I-78 that never got off the ground. The connections to local streets connect as follows:

• The ramp from I-278 EB and the ramp to I-278 WB are fairly straightforward - they leave I-278 west of the interchange and meet Brunswick Avenue at a simple half-diamond.
• This half diamond actually appears to be a 3/4 diamond, also including an EB onramp. However, this onramp actually joins the connector to the Turnpike, passes through the toll booths, and enters I-95.
• The ramp from I-278 WB and the ramp to I-278 EB are contained in a fully directional split east of the main interchange; the ramp from Trenton Ave. to the Goethals Bridge joins the left side of I-278 EB. As a result, both of these ramps join Trenton Ave. at a single intersection north of I-278. Notice the wide expanses of diagonal yellow lines on these ramps; the proposed westward extension of I-278 would have left the existing expressway here, putting exit and entrance lanes where these lines are now.
• The last remaining ramp is from the Turnpike toll booth to the local streets. This leaves the right side of the ramp to I-278 west, on the north side of the interchange. It's pretty hard to see in the photo - look for the long white rectangle (it's probably an 18-wheeler trying to get around the turn to Trenton Ave.) This ramp actually meets Brunswick Ave., Trenton Ave., and NJ 439 at all of their termini.

Comments: This interchange does a good job of providing connections between I-95 and I-278, while giving good access to the local Elizabeth area at the same time. Unfortunately, there is one left entrance and one left exit, which may have been a result of the proposed I-278 extension (see below). Had this extension been built, the ramps between the New Jersey Turnpike and the new westward I-278 would have been leftmost coming in adn out of the toll booths, making these the "main line" through the interchange; this would make sense, as much of the NB traffic on I-95 would probably use I-278 to get to I-78 without passing through downtown Newark and near the Newark Airport.

History: Much of the odd structure of this interchange comes from the fact that another expressway was originally intended to end here, and many of the leftover ghost ramps still stand. This expressway was intended to run from here along the Turnpike, and then west across the north side of Elizabeth to serve the Newark International Airport. This freeway now exists as NJ 81, which joins the Turnpike north of here at Exit 13A. As far as I can tell, the interchange would have looked somewhat like the image to the right. It's an educated guess (I'm not sure which angle the new freeway would have left at: due north? NE? NW?), but based on the positions of the ghost ramps, I think it's reasonably accurate.

Corrections? Suggestions? More information is always welcome.
Suggestions for more interchanges to cover on this site are great too.
Contact the author, Dan (known as DanTheMan on misc.transport.road):
twowheel@email.com