New Jersey Route 208

Route 208
World War II Veterans Memorial Highway
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length	10.07 mi[1] (16.21 km)
Existed	January 1, 1953[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	Route 4 in Fair Lawn
Major intersections	CR 507 in Fair Lawn CR 502 in Franklin Lakes
North end	I-287 in Oakland
Location
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Counties	Bergen, Passaic
Highway system
New Jersey State Highway Routes Interstate US State Scenic Byways
← I-278

Route 208 is a

What is now Route 208 was initially planned as Route S4B in 1929, a spur of Route 4 that was to run from Fair Lawn northwest to the New York border in Greenwood Lake, where it would eventually connect to New York State Route 208 (NY 208). This route replaced what was planned as a part of Route 3 in 1927 between Paterson and Greenwood Lake. By the time the route was renumbered to Route 208 in 1953 to match NY 208, only a portion of the route in Fair Lawn from Route 4 to Maple Avenue had been built. Route 208 was completed west to U.S. Route 202 (US 202) in Oakland by 1960 as a two-lane undivided road; it would be built into its present configuration in later years. A Route 208 freeway was planned across the Ramapo Mountains from Oakland to connect to a proposed NY 208 freeway at Greenwood Lake; however, it was never built. After I-287 was extended from Montville to the New York border in 1993, it took over the alignment of Route 208 between US 202 and the route’s current northern terminus. The last traffic signal along Route 208 at McBride Avenue was removed in 1995 and the interchange with Route 4 and Saddle River Road was reconstructed in 2002.

Route description

Traffic moves in at least two lanes in each direction for the road's entire length of 10.07 miles (16.21 km), widening briefly to three lanes next to a commercial area in Fair Lawn and near its northern terminus.^[1]

The road originates as a four-lane arterial road at an interchange with Route 4 in Fair Lawn, Bergen County that also includes ramps for CR 79 (Saddle River Road), heading to the west near residential areas.^[1][3] Shortly after beginning, a ramp from southbound Route 208 provides access via Virginia Drive to westbound Route 4.^[3] The next exit is a partial interchange with CR 78 (Morlot Avenue), followed by a full interchange with Plaza Road. Past the latter, the route passes over NJ Transit's Bergen County Line and comes to a southbound exit and entrance with Berdan Avenue.^[1] From here, the road turns to the northwest, passing near more neighborhoods before coming to an interchange with CR 76 (Fair Lawn Avenue). Past this interchange, the northbound direction of Route 208 widens to three lanes and it continues into commercial areas, with some driveways along the road and an intersection with McBride Avenue.^[1][3] At this point, the highway passes an industrial park.^[3] A short distance later, the road reaches the interchange with CR 507 (Maple Avenue) and CR 127 (Harristown Road). Past this interchange, the road becomes a four-lane freeway and enters Glen Rock and has a northbound exit and entrance with De Boer Drive before crossing over NJ Transit's Main Line.^[1] Route 208 then heads through wooded residential areas prior to a northbound interchange with CR 653 (Lincoln Avenue), where it enters Hawthorne, Passaic County.^[1][3] CR 653 and Route 208 are connected by a short segment of CR 664 (Rea Avenue).^[1]

Becton Dickinson headquarters campus, where the road carries three lanes in each direction.^[1][3] It narrows back to two lanes in each direction before coming to the interchange with CR 117 (Colonial Road) and CR 89 (High Mountain Road). The final exit heading northbound is for I-287 north, an interchange that includes another crossing of the NYSW line. After passing the exit, Route 208 northbound merges into I-287 southbound at the Franklin Lakes and Oakland border.^[1]

History

Route S4B
Location	West Milford–Fair Lawn
Existed	1929–1953

Route 208 was first plotted in 1929 as Route S4B, a spur of

Monroe, New York, where it would join NY 208 at its intersection with NY 17. By 1953, the portion of Route S4B between Route 4 and Maple Avenue in Fair Lawn was completed; that same year, it was renumbered to Route 208 in order to match NY 208.^[7][8] By 1960, the road was extended to a northern terminus at US 202 and West Oakland Avenue in Oakland, where traffic could exit and continue over Skyline Drive to Ringwood. When first constructed, this portion of Route 208 was a two-lane undivided road.^[9] By 1969, the portion between Maple Avenue and Goffle Road was widened to a divided highway with the entire route built into a multi-lane divided highway by the 1980s.^[10][11]

Route 178 freeway leading to Morris County.^[12][13] In 1975, this proposed freeway was recommended by the Tri-State Regional Planning Commission to be completed by 2000. However, it was never built.^[14]

When I-287 was extended from Montville to the New York border in 1993, it took over the alignment of Route 208 between US 202 and the current northern terminus of Route 208. In 1995, the last traffic signal along Route 208 at McBride Avenue was turned off.^[15] In 2002, construction was completed on a $32 million project that improved the interchange with Route 4 in Fair Lawn. This interchange saw improvements of the ramps and bridges, including the Route 208 bridge over Saddle River Road.^[16] Route 208, like many other highways in New Jersey, once had solar powered emergency call boxes every 1.0 mile (1.6 km); however with the advent of cell phones the usage of these call boxes became extremely limited. To save on maintenance costs, the NJDOT removed these call boxes in 2005.^[17]

Exit list

All exits are unnumbered.

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Bergen	Fair Lawn	0.00	0.00	Route 4 east – Fort Lee, New York City	Southern terminus
				Saddle River Road ( CR 79 north) – Ridgewood	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		0.07	0.11	Saddle River Road ( CR 79 south) to G.S. Parkway south	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		0.25	0.40	Virginia Drive to Route 4 west	Southbound exit and entrance
		0.94	1.51	Morlot Avenue ( CR 78) – Fair Lawn	Northbound exit only
		1.22	1.96	Plaza Road – Fair Lawn
		1.50	2.41	Berdan Avenue	Southbound exit and entrance
		1.83	2.95	Fair Lawn Avenue ( CR 76 )
		2.44	3.93	McBride Avenue	Northbound exit and entrance
		2.88	4.63	Southern end of freeway section
				CR 507 (Maple Avenue) – Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Paterson, Hawthorne	CR 507 not signed northbound
	Glen Rock	3.17	5.10	De Boer Drive	Northbound exit and entrance
CR 653) – Ridgewood	Northbound exit and entrance
	3.76	6.05	Utter Avenue
	4.40	7.08	Goffle Road ( CR 659) – Midland Park, Ridgewood, Hawthorne, Paterson
Bergen	Wyckoff	5.32	8.56	Grandview Avenue – Wyckoff
		5.97	9.61	Cedar Hill Avenue ( CR 93) – Wyckoff
		6.93	11.15	Russell Avenue ( CR S-93) – Wyckoff
	Franklin Lakes	7.87	12.67	CR 502 (Ewing Avenue) – Franklin Lakes
		8.48	13.65	Summit Avenue ( CR S-89) – Franklin Lakes
		8.82– 9.14	14.19– 14.71	Becton Dickinson Headquarters
		9.45	15.21	High Mountain Road ( CR 117) – Franklin Lakes
		9.62	15.48	I-287 north to I-87 – Mahwah, New York Thruway	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	I-287 south – Oakland, Morristown	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

See also

•  
  U.S. Roads portal
•  New Jersey portal

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} "Route 208 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
2. ^ "New Route Markers Go Up Next Month" (PDF). The Hackettstown Gazette. December 18, 1952. p. 17. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Google (2009-08-25). "overview of New Jersey Route 208" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
4. ^ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1929, Chapter 126.
5. ^ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.
6. ^ 1927 New Jersey Road Map (Map). State of New Jersey. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
7. ^ "1953 renumbering". New Jersey Department of Highways. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
8. ^ "New Road Signs Ready in New Jersey". The New York Times. December 16, 1952. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
9. ^ Wright, George Cable (May 15, 1960). "ON JERSEY'S ROADS; Motorists En Route to State's Resorts Will Find Many Improvements" (Fee required). The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
10. Chevron Oil Company
    . 1969.
11. State Farm Insurance
    . 1983.
12. ^ ^{a b} New Jersey Highway Facts. New Jersey Department of Transportation. 1967.
13. ^ Route 208 Freeway Location Report. New Jersey Department of Transportation. 1970.
14. ^ Maintaining Mobility. Tri-State Regional Planning Commission. 1975.
15. The Record. Archived from the original
    (Fee required) on March 9, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
16. ^ "Routes 4/208 Construction Fair Lawn, Bergen County Frequently Asked Questions". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
17. ^ Barlas, Thomas (February 28, 2007). "Last call for N.J.'s roadside call boxes". The Press of Atlantic City.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Jersey Route 208.

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Template:Attached KML/New Jersey Route 208

KML is from Wikidata

• Route 208 Photos
• New Jersey Highway Ends – 208
• Speed Limits for State Roads: Route 208
• New Jersey Roadtrips – New Jersey 208 Photos