New Jersey Route 37

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Route 37 marker

Route 37

Map
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length13.43 mi[1] (21.61 km)
Existed1927–present
Major junctions
West end Route 70 in Lakehurst
Major intersections
East end Route 35 in Seaside Heights
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountiesOcean
Highway system
← Route 36→ Route 38

Route 37 is a

Toms River East Little League's victory in the 1998 Little League World Series. Route 37 intersects many major roads in the Toms River area, including County Route 527 (CR 527), the Garden State Parkway/U.S. Route 9 (US 9), Route 166, CR 549, and CR 571
. The route experiences congestion from both development in the area and from traffic bound for the barrier islands in the summer.

Route 37 was first legislated in 1927 in two sections: one running from

freeway running from White Horse to Seaside Heights. This freeway proposal was eventually altered to create Interstate 195 (I-195), running from Trenton to Wall Township
.

Route description

Route 37 at its western terminus at Route 70 at the Lakehurst Circle

Route 37 begins at the Lakehurst Circle

CR 642 (Mule Road) and CR 527 (Oak Ridge Parkway/Lakehurst Road). After the intersection with CR 527, the route passes north of Community Medical Center and crosses over the North Branch of the Toms River.[1]

CR 549 Spur/CR 571 (Fischer Boulevard).[1]

Route 37 crosses the Barnegat Bay on the Thomas A. Mathis and J. Stanley Tunney Bridges with the eastbound bridge featuring a drawbridge that allows ships to pass through while the westbound bridge is a higher-level span.[1][2] The route continues onto Pelican Island in the Barnegat Bay, crossing into a small piece of Berkeley Township. Route 37 crosses over a part of the Barnegat Bay and heads onto the Barnegat Peninsula, where the route comes to its eastern terminus at an interchange with Route 35 on the border of Berkeley Township and Seaside Heights. At this interchange, access to Seaside Heights is provided by a ramp from northbound Route 35 a short distance past the ramp from eastbound Route 37, connecting to Sumner Avenue, while access from Seaside Heights to westbound Route 37 is provided by a direct ramp from Hamilton Avenue.[1]

Due to the area's vacationers, many of which come from New York and Northern New Jersey, Route 37 is routinely congested with seasonal traffic in the summer, especially on and around the Mathis and Tunney Bridges and at the Garden State Parkway interchange as heavy tourist traffic converges on the shore.[3] Additionally, the road sees congestion due to the area's rapid growth in commercial development.[4]

History

View west along Route 37 at the Garden State Parkway and US 9 in Toms River Township

The road from Toms River to Seaside Heights was part of the Jersey Coast Way, which stretched from Cape May to the Staten Island Ferry.

Pre-1927 Route 2, while the portion between Lakehurst and Toms River replaced part of Pre-1927 Route 18.[6][9]

Bridge stamp for former alignment of Route 37 along CR 539 in Monmouth County

Following the 1927 renumbering, Route 37 existed in multiple separate sections: one running from the Trenton–

Route 40 (now Route 70) in Lakehurst to Point Pleasant.[10][11][12] The remainder of the route between White Horse and Lakehurst remained incomplete.[13] In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 37 was legislated to run along its current alignment from Route 70 in Lakehurst to Route 35 in Seaside Heights. The number was dropped between Trenton and White Horse in favor of US 206, while the section between Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant became a realignment of Route 35.[14]

View westbound along Route 37 from the Garden State Parkway and US 9 in Toms River

Route 37 was proposed in the late 1960s as a

freeway that was to run from Route 29 in the Trenton area to Seaside Heights. It was suggested that this freeway be completed by 1975 in order to handle a rapid growth of population in Central New Jersey.[15] In 1967, this proposal was altered to build a road that compromised with the proposed Route 38 freeway between Camden and Wall Township. It soon received federal funding and was built as I-195, running from Trenton to Wall Township.[16][17]

The portion of Route 37 within

Toms River East Little League's victory in the 1998 Little League World Series.[18][19]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Ocean County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Lakewood, Point Pleasant, Asbury Park
Lakehurst Circle; western terminus
Toms River5.128.24 CR 527 (Oak Ridge Parkway/Lakehurst Road)
6.3310.19
Woodbridge, New York City
Cloverleaf interchange; GSP exit 82
6.6510.70
Lakewood, Beachwood
7.3511.83 CR 549 (Hooper Avenue) – Brick Township, Toms River
10.8917.53
CR 549 Spur north / CR 571 west (Fischer Boulevard) – Brick Township
Barnegat Bay11.9219.18Thomas A. Mathis and J. Stanley Tunney Bridges
Island Beach
Interchange; eastern terminus; access from Seaside Heights via ramp from Hamilton Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Route 37 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-03-17. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Google (2009-04-01). "overview of New Jersey Route 37" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  3. ^ James, George (May 23, 1999). "Reaching the Beach on the Parkway Can Take a Toll". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  4. ^ La Russo, Jo Ann (August 19, 2006). "Township Master Plan Seeks To Address Traffic, Growth". Toms River Times.
  5. ^ Rand McNally and Co. "Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, South East Michigan, Southern Ontario, Western New York: District No. 4". Rand McNally Official Auto Trails Map, 3rd ed., 1924, pp. 168-169. David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, David Rumsey (curator), Cartography Associates, Accessed Nov 4, 2019, www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~201570~3000600:Auto-Trails-Map--Pennsylvania,-New-.
  6. ^ a b State of New Jersey, Laws of 1923, Chapter 184.
  7. ^ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.
  8. ^ 1927 New Jersey Road Map (Map). State of New Jersey. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  9. ^ Official Auto Trail Map - District 7 (Map). Rand McNally. 1922. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  10. ^ General Highway Map - Mercer County, New Jersey (Map). New Jersey State Highway Department. 1939. Sheet 2. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  11. ^ General Highway Map - Monmouth County, New Jersey (Map). New Jersey State Highway Department. 1939. Sheet 3. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  12. ^ General Highway Map - Ocean County, New Jersey (Map). New Jersey State Highway Department. 1939. Sheets 6-9. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  13. H.M. Gousha
    . Mid-West Map Co. 1941. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  14. ^ "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)
  15. ^ Plans for a Central Jersey Expressway System. New Jersey State Highway Department. 1965.
  16. ^ Route 37 Freeway Relocation Study. New Jersey Department of Transportation. 1967.
  17. ^ New Jersey Highway Facts. New Jersey Department of Transportation. 1967.
  18. ^ Sucato, Kirsty (September 20, 1998). "GOVERNMENT; Trenton Takes On Impact Fees, Licenses and Little League". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  19. ^ "Dover Township Community Profile". Ocean County Library. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-10-20.

External links

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