Interstate 80 in New Jersey

This article is about the section of Interstate 80 in New Jersey. For the entire route, see Interstate 80.
"Christopher Columbus Highway" redirects here. For the similarly named highway in California, see Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway.

Interstate 80 marker
Interstate 80
Map
I-80 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT and DRJTBC
Length68.3 mi[1] (109.9 km)
Existed1958[2]–present
HistoryCompleted in 1973[3]
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-80 at the Pennsylvania state line in Hardwick Township
Major intersections
East end I-95 / N.J. Turnpike / CR 56 in Teaneck
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountiesWarren, Sussex, Morris, Essex, Passaic, Bergen
Highway system
← Route 79→ Route 81

Interstate 80 (I-80) is a major interstate highway in the United States, running from San Francisco, California, eastward to the New York metropolitan area. In New Jersey, I-80 runs for 68.3 miles (109.9 km) from the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge at the Pennsylvania state line to its eastern terminus at the interchange with the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in Teaneck, Bergen County. I-95 continues from the end of I-80 to the George Washington Bridge for access to New York City. The highway runs parallel to US 46 through rural areas of Warren and Sussex counties before heading into more suburban surroundings in Morris County. As the road continues into Passaic and Bergen counties, it heads into more urban areas. The New Jersey Department of Transportation identifies I-80 within the state as the Christopher Columbus Highway.[4]

A freeway along the I-80 corridor had been planned in 1936 and again in 1955 to provide relief along US 46 between the George Washington Bridge and the Delaware Water Gap. With the establishment of the interstate highway system, the planned freeway, which had been identified in some planning documents as the Bergen–Passaic Expressway (which same name is also applied sometimes to I-95/Turnpike north of the I-80 interchange), was incorporated into I-80.[5] The freeway was built across New Jersey in stages from the 1960s to 1973. The westernmost four miles (6.4 km) in New Jersey was originally a rerouting of US 611 when built, although that route was later realigned back into Pennsylvania. In the 1990s, HOV lanes had existed on a part of I-80 in Morris County, but the HOV lanes were opened to regular traffic because they were not used frequently.

  1. ^ "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1957 map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ New Jersey Department of Transportation (April 2014). "I-80 Straight Line Diagram" (PDF). Roadway Information and Traffic Monitoring System Program. New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "Bergen Passaic Expressway Opens Local Traffic Lanes (Published 1964)". December 12, 1964. Retrieved August 11, 2023.