Worst Highway in NJ

Submitted by TheMateoAndre t3_ytugop in newjersey

Which highway do you guys think is the worst in New Jersey? I think it would either be US Route 1 or 9. Let me hear some of the other ones you guys hate and why!

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jayc428 t1_iw6ajt7 wrote

Worst highway overall would have to be 22. Other than that its sections of other ones, west bound end of 24 getting onto 287 north, oranges exit from parkway to 280, although 287 on ramp from 80 is the most rage inducing.

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Kabyk t1_iw7tmsb wrote

I would sacrifice full service gas to get lane barriers put in for the 287 north exit lane just so I can watch the angry faces go by of all the lane cutters now going into 287 south or whippany road who did not want to go into 287 south or whippany road.

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jayc428 t1_iw7tzwi wrote

They did major road construction there and did nothing to address that area. I don’t know why they con’t have a two lane off ramp and bring the full two lanes onto 287, the road can handle it. It’s a complete bottleneck that slows down all of 80 because people trying to cut into line from the adjacent lanes.

Some jersey barriers would be great though.

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lomeintenance116 t1_iw92s4i wrote

24 in general is an absolute mess during rush hour both ways. You’re absolutely right though that westbound to 287 north is just too much. That exit makes me lose faith in humanity. Something needs to be done about that

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Smacpats111111 t1_iw9y49z wrote

The most frustrating thing about 24 is that both ends have the same problem, which is that the amount of lanes suddenly drops as the road ends, and in both cases it would be trivially easy to fix. 24e->78e you have 3 lanes that suddenly drop to 2. 24w->287n you have 3 lanes that suddenly drops to 1.

The 24e->78e spot causes a multi mile long traffic jam every day for several hours. They literally could make it 3 lanes by changing where the paint is on a quarter mile stretch of the road. Seriously, go look at it on google maps. The road is ALREADY WIDE ENOUGH that they could add a third lane by just painting it on there. Wtf.

As bad as that spot is, the 24w->287n merge has been a problem for literally 30 years. Most of that ramp is also wide enough to be 2 lanes on its own and the rest of the ramp is surrounded by forest.

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Smacpats111111 t1_iw8dsij wrote

>west bound end of 24 getting onto 287 north

This section of roadway was actually how I first learned that the government does not actually care about fixing our problems. Might be the most frustrating section of roadway in the country and it's been that way every weekday for the last 30 years. The worst part is that it would be trivial to add another lane, there's literally room to do it. The officials who have neglected that section for this long should go to jail.

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Hdys t1_iw9eir7 wrote

Came here to post the 24 merge onto 287!! Also 287 north of 78 is always a shit show

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peter-doubt t1_iw6bb1s wrote

The interchange that includes 22, 1, 9, I78, 21 and the turnpike at the airport in Elizabeth/ Newark..

Geez, I gotta travel 6 miles to make a simple left turn.. 3 miles out and 3 miles back!

And 22.. again. It's even adding to the mess at this end!

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Hrekires t1_iw8081l wrote

Anyone saying anything other than Route 22 has never driven on it in the Mountainside <---> Hillside stretch where they have retail shops in the center of the highway, so you've got people entering and exiting traffic in both the left and right lanes (plus U-turns in the middle of the highway!! none of which have onramps to help cars get up to speed before merging). Then throw in massive flooding problems any time it rains.

When we were house shopping in Union County, my top deal breaker was being able to reach a train station and the Parkway without getting on 22.

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ilikeduckconfit t1_iw6bwzw wrote

Agreed on 22, with an honorable mention of 287 through Morristown.

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Smacpats111111 t1_iw8e7kk wrote

287 is fine albeit crowded, it's the 24w->287n ramp that is a crime against humanity

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I_Am_Skipples t1_iw7aymu wrote

Parkway north and south between 136 and 145.

Honorable mention to rt24 for having 50 on ramps within a mile of each other.

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unclebonesy t1_iw71a39 wrote

22 getting on and off sucks

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coreynj2461 t1_iw73lvp wrote

Agree with 22. 17 honorable mention. Rutherford to hasbrouck heights those 3 traffic lights are annoying. Then the bottle neck in rochelle park, then on 17 south always backed up right before the parkway and then again by the mall

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xiixiilxxv t1_iw7f2is wrote

I grew up driving on 22, so everything seems pretty tame but if I had to answer it would be 287.

Since moving down to South Jersey; I absolutely hate 42.

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showme6996 t1_iw7hu1c wrote

78 east sun glare in the morning

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HeadCatMomCat t1_iw7qsw8 wrote

Oh 22. By a mile. I had to go to the Springfield DMV office - it's now off of 22 and a well run location - last Thursday. I forgot how bad it was and then I had to get on GSP.

But, and I realize this is off point, 22 is nothing compared to the Cross Bronx Expressay, which has been voted the worst highway in America for years. The area between the Bronx River Parkway and Washington Bridge is a total nightmare.

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momjeans69420 t1_iw6wi0h wrote

It’s 1 it’s not even close it’s not even close. I hate route nine through lakewood except on Saturdays it’s a breeze idk why but hey! Anyway route one seems to always be jam packed from 730 am to 730 pm it’s absolutely insane not to mention the construction on 8 different parts of the highway. Best imho is 195 I almost never get stuck anywhere on that road

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Stretch7290 t1_iw7fev3 wrote

I have no reference to 22 I live in south Jersey so I second 42 as the worst

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Smacpats111111 t1_iw8ga5a wrote

22, from Mountainside to the airport. Terrifying.

22/202/206 interchange (Somerville Circle).

24w->287n, the actual bane of my existence.

Pulaski Skyway.

287/17/87 in Mahwah. People there drive like morons. Almost died there once.

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Larrymoment t1_iw8ztim wrote

Route 9 south, Old Bridge

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drunkenup t1_iwa6q9v wrote

LOL I take 1 and 9/139 all the way until the holland. Hardly an intimidating drive, however, it is the worst in terms of traffic. I pray the tunnel is decommissioned so I can have that stretch of highway to myself. If I'm not on 1 and 9, I'm on THAT stretch of 22. There's a uturn every thousand feet, its not necessary to catch the nearest one. nuff said. I'll take both over bergen county having lived there for a year. Rt 4, 17, bridge traffic, 46, they can all turn into sinkholes

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beeps-n-boops t1_iwbzuwf wrote

I'd like to say 287... but honestly, any and all of them north of 195. Driving in North / North Central NJ is a fucking nightmare.

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kzapwn2 t1_iw68kjh wrote

In terms of what

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TheMateoAndre OP t1_iw697pe wrote

All things considered; congestion, twists and turns, hills, terrain, etc.

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kzapwn2 t1_iw69duc wrote

I’ll go with 22. I’ll avoid it at all costs

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TheMateoAndre OP t1_iw69j7y wrote

Noted. I don't remember if I have ever been on it, but I'll be sure to keep away.

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kzapwn2 t1_iw69ptb wrote

Jam packed with traffic and it inexplicably has businesses in the middle of the north and south lanes in addition to both sides. So you have a billion people going like 30 directions. Honorable mention to 1/9 by the airport with all the bad rental car & Uber drivers & rt 37 in Toms River in the summer due to the Bennys

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stitcheewoman7 t1_iw83ak7 wrote

Route 22 from mountainside thru union.

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LongWindedInNJ t1_iw8ipok wrote

Rt78 East in the morning (glare), Rt22 (mostly in Union around the islands), and Rt287 always, in both directions.

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Adventurous_Eye1405 t1_iw8trb5 wrote

22 is pretty awful, especially around union. 1&9 are miserable as well. However, the wretched tangle of roads surrounding newark airport is probably my least favorite place to drive in the state. Depending on the time of day, route 24 can suck pretty hard.

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Peter_Lobster t1_iw9wtc9 wrote

i love the part of 9 thats like toms river/beachwood to oceangate sort of area. its fun and wide shoulder for biking

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MrsPebble t1_iw90wvl wrote

I won’t go on route 22 unless absolutely necessary, though my driving instructor took me there when I was learning to drive (I credit my good driving to that trial by fire). However 17 is a special level of hell that I also will not go to unless absolutely necessary. I’ve never cursed so much on a road before.

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fasda t1_iwjpia2 wrote

Yes, highways are terrible.

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