.svg) Interstate 195 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James J. Howard Interstate Highway Central Jersey Expressway | ||||
 I-195 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route ofI-95 | ||||
| Maintained byNJDOT | ||||
| Length | 34.17 mi[1][2] (54.99 km) | |||
| Existed | 1968–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |   I-295 /Route 29 inHamilton Township | |||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| East end |     G.S. Parkway /Route 138 /Route 34 inWall Township | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New Jersey | |||
| Counties | Mercer,Monmouth,Ocean | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Interstate 195 (I-195) is anauxiliary route of theInterstate Highway System located in the US state ofNew Jersey. Its western end is atI-295 andRoute 29 just south ofTrenton inHamilton Township, Mercer County, while its eastern end is at theGarden State Parkway,Route 138, andRoute 34 inWall Township, Monmouth County. I-195 is 34.17 miles (54.99 km) in length. The route is mostly a four-lane highway that mainly runs through agrarian and wooded areas inCentral Jersey. It has an interchange with theNew Jersey Turnpike (I-95) inRobbinsville Township and serves as a main access road to New Jersey's state capital of Trenton, theHorse Park of New Jersey,Six Flags Great Adventure, and theJersey Shore. I-195 is occasionally referred to as theCentral Jersey Expressway. On April 6, 1988, PresidentRonald Reagan signed H.R. 4263 naming I-195 in New Jersey theJames J. Howard Interstate Highway, in honor of the lateJames J. Howard.
The current I-195 was initially planned as atoll road called the Trenton–Asbury Park Expressway in the 1950s. In the 1960s, it became two proposed freewaysRoute 37 andRoute 38 that were to cross the central part of the state. A compromise was reached for a single freeway between Trenton andBelmar which would get Interstate Highway funding as I-195. It was built in several stages during the 1970s and 1980s. There once existed a plan to extend the I-195 designation west to theinterchange between thePennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) andI-95 inBristol Township, Pennsylvania, but it was decided to extend the I-295 designation west and south, along existing I-95 instead.
The highway, along with the Route 138 extension, was built to also be an evacuation route in times of emergency, such as beforeHurricane Sandy, when the eastbound lanes were reversed all the way from the coast to the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) to accommodate for mass evacuations.[3]
I-195's western terminus is at a modifiedcloverleaf interchange withI-295 inHamilton, Mercer County, located southeast ofTrenton. From this end, the freeway continues north into Trenton asRoute 29. I-195 serves as the southern continuation of Route 29, continuing east from I-295 as a six-lane expressway, passing between suburban neighborhoods to the north andCrosswicks Creek to the south.[2][4] After the exit forU.S. Route 206 (US 206), the highway narrows to four lanes and turns northeast as it interchanges with South Broad Street (County Route 524 [CR 524]) and Arena Drive (CR 620).[2] Following this, I-195 passes near more neighborhoods and runs to the northwest of Gropp Lake before turning more to the east.[4] The route has a cloverleaf interchange with Yardville-Hamilton Square Road before passing near business parks and reaching a cloverleaf interchange withUS 130. After US 130, the road entersRobbinsville Township as the settings start to become more rural, with a few areas of suburban development.[2][4] In Robbinsville, there is a ramp that provides access to theNew Jersey Turnpike (I-95). Shortly after passing over the New Jersey Turnpike, I-195 reaches the exit forCR 526.[2] The highway runs to the north ofAllentown before briefly forming the border between Robbinsville to the north andUpper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, to the south as it reaches the interchange with CR 524/CR 539.[2][4]
_just_east_of_Exit_11_in_Upper_Freehold_Township%2c_Monmouth_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
Upon passing under CR 524/CR 539, I-195 fully enters Upper Freehold in Monmouth County and continues east through a mix of woodland and farmland.[2][4] The next interchange the highway reaches is with Imlaystown-Hightstown Road (CR 43).[2] Past this exit, the highway passes through more rural areas and crosses intoMillstone Township. In this area, I-195 turns to the southeast and enters more forested areas as it comes to a cloverleaf interchange withCR 537.[2][4] This exit off I-195 provides access to theSix Flags amusement park and the Jackson Premium Outlets.[4] Due to the presence of Six Flags, this exit off I-195 can become busy during the summer months since it provides access to the park from both the New Jersey Turnpike and theGarden State Parkway, which lies just east of I-195's eastern terminus.[5][6] Upon crossing CR 537, the highway entersJackson Township, Ocean County, and continues east through heavy woods. The road comes to an exit withCR 527, where there is apark-and-ride lot for motorists. The median of I-195 widens past the interchange with CR 527 before narrowing as it comes to the interchange withCR 638.[2][4] The road runs through more woodland, with nearby residential development increasing.[4]
After crossing the North Branch of theMetedeconk River, I-195 continues intoHowell Township, Monmouth County, and turns northeast, reaching a cloverleaf interchange withUS 9.[2][4] At this point, the road turns east again and soon heads back into dense woods, passing over theSouthern Secondary railroad line operated by theDelaware and Raritan River Railroad.[4] After crossing theManasquan River, the expressway interchanges withCR 547, which provides access to CR 524 andCR 549. Shortly after CR 547, I-195 entersWall Township and passes throughAllaire State Park.[2][4] The eastern end of I-195 is located at exit 35, its junction withRoute 34 that has access to the southbound Garden State Parkway from the eastbound direction.[2] At the exit for Route 34, I-195 ends andRoute 138 begins, but the highway and exit numbering continue onto Route 138, marking the interchange with theGarden State Parkway as exit 36.[2][4] Past this interchange, Route 138 continues east toBelmar on theJersey Shore as an arterial boulevard, making connections withRoute 18 andRoute 35.[4]
_at_Exit_21_(Ocean_County_Route_527%2c_Ocean_County_Route_526%2c_Jackson%2c_Siloam)_in_Jackson_Township%2c_Ocean_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
What would become I-195 was first proposed in the late 1950s as atoll road called the Trenton–Asbury Park Expressway that was to be operated by theNew Jersey Highway Authority, the owner of the Garden State Parkway at the time.[7] In 1965, this road would be incorporated into a planned Central Jersey Expressway System. The western portion would become a part of theRoute 37 freeway that was to run from Trenton toSeaside Heights while the eastern portion would become a part of theRoute 38 freeway that was to run fromCamden to Belmar. The two freeways were to meet nearFort Dix.[8] By 1967, plans for the Route 38 freeway were canceled, leaving Route 37 as the only planned east–west freeway through central New Jersey. The routing of this freeway, which was to be called the Central Jersey Expressway, was changed to run from the Trenton area east to Wall Township[9] In addition, officials pushed forInterstate Highway funding for the freeway, with funds to be diverted from the canceledI-278 inUnion County. The proposed freeway would cost $60 million (equivalent to $429 million in 2024[10]).[11]
By 1970, construction took place on the route between CR 539 near Allentown and CR 527 in Jackson Township.[12] The portion of I-195 between the New Jersey Turnpike and CR 527 was opened by 1973 and construction on the section betweenWhite Horse and the New Jersey Turnpike began.[13] In 1979, I-195 was completed east toHowell Township.[14] By 1983, the length of I-195 was completed.[15]
When it was planned, I-195 did not intersect I-95 at all; it instead connected to I-295 at its west end.[15] When I-95 was rerouted to the New Jersey Turnpike after the cancelation of theSomerset Freeway, I-195 was connected to I-95.[16] Previously, I-95 abruptly ended at I-295 andUS 1 inLawrence Township and motorists had to take I-295 southbound to I-195 east in order to access the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95).[17] This is no longer necessary as a result of thePennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project which opened to traffic on September 22, 2018, completing the full length of I-95 fromMiami, Florida, toHoulton, Maine.
On April 6, 1988, PresidentRonald Reagan signed H.R. 4263 naming I-195 in New Jersey the James J. Howard Interstate Highway, in honor of the lateJames J. Howard, a US Representative from New Jersey who advocated improving the highways of the US.[18]
In 1997, separate ramps were added from I-195 to westbound and eastbound CR 537, and the westbound ramp was expanded to two lanes for Six Flags traffic.[19]
_just_west_of_Exit_5_(U.S._Route_130%2c_New_Brunswick%2c_Bordentown)_in_Hamilton_Township%2c_Mercer_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
I-195, like many other highways in New Jersey, once had solar-powered emergencycallboxes every one mile (1.6 km). With the advent of cellphones, the callboxes saw limited use. To save on maintenance costs, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) removed the callboxes in 2005.[20]
On April 30, 2010, NJDOT started a project to repave the expressway both eastbound and westbound from just east of the turnpike overpasses near exit 7 inRobbinsville Township to exit 11 inUpper Freehold Township. This was completed in late 2010.[21]
From July 2009 until November 2014, the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) was widened with the construction of new outer roadways ("truck lanes") that extended the "dual-dual" roadways south to exit 6 inMansfield Township from its former end at Exit 8A inMonroe Township. As part of this project, the overpasses carrying I-195 over the turnpike were reconstructed, the exit 7A toll gate was widened, and all the ramps connecting directly to the mainline of the turnpike were rebuilt which included building a new high-speed ramp over I-195 to enter the northbound lanes of the turnpike.[22][23][24]
_from_the_Interstate_295_(Camden_Freeway)_overpass_in_Hamilton_Township%2c_Mercer_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
For about a decade, there was a plan to extend the designation of I-195 to the west in tandem with the rerouting of I-95 planned as part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project. Beginning in 2005, plans were made to extend I-195 west from its present-day western terminus along I-295 and I-95, continuing counterclockwise to the north, west, and south around Trenton to the new interchange.[17] I-295 would have been truncated to the current interchange with I-195. Officials from New Jersey and Pennsylvania had agreed to submit the I-195 request toAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), as no route designation is official until approved by them.[25] Had it been approved, approximately 27.1 miles (43.6 km) would have been added to I-195.[26] Interchange renumbering would have also taken place in concert with the future I-195 designation in Pennsylvania and both the planned and current I-195 designation in New Jersey.[27] This proposal had received conditional approval from AASHTO.[28] However, on May 20, 2015, the original plan of extending I-295 west and south into Pennsylvania to the new interchange was approved instead, leaving the western terminus of I-195 at its current location.[29]
In 2018, the exit numbers at the interchanges for I-295 (exits 60A–B) and US 206 (exits 1A–B) were renumbered to exits 1A–B and exits 1C–D, respectively. This change was done as part of the I-95/I-295 redesignation project to match the milemarkers along I-195.[30]
In the late 1990s,NJDOT considered the possibility of widening I-195 to six lanes between the New Jersey Turnpike and CR 537 in order to accommodate traffic going to Six Flags Great Adventure.[31] NJDOT has revived the possibility, and has studied proposals to widen I-195 between CR 537 and the New Jersey Turnpike from four to six total lanes, eliminating the grass median in the process.[31]
| County | Location | mi[2] | km | Old exit | New exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | Hamilton Township | 0.00 | 0.00 |    Route 29 north toRoute 129 –Trenton | Continuation north | |||
| 60 | 1A–B |  I-295 toUS 1 –Camden,Princeton | Partial cloverleaf interchange; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north); exits 60A-B on I-295 | |||||
| 0.92 | 1.48 | 1A–B | 1C–D |  US 206 –Bordentown,White Horse | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; signed as exits 1C (south) and 1D (north) | |||
| 1.55 | 2.49 | 2 | South Broad Street –Yardville (EB)US 206 / South Broad Street, Arena Drive (WB) | US 206/South Broad Street/Arena Drive not signed eastbound; Yardville not signed westbound; access viaCR 524 /CR 620 | ||||
| 3.37 | 5.42 | 3 | Yardville,Hamilton Square | Signed as exits 3A (Yardville) and 3B (Hamilton Square); access via Yardville-Hamilton Square Road | ||||
| 4.90 | 7.89 | 5 |  US 130 –New Brunswick,Bordentown | Signed as exits 5A (south) and 5B (north) | ||||
| Robbinsville Township | 6.25 | 10.06 | 6 |   I-95 Toll /N.J. Turnpike –New York,Camden | Exit 7A on I-95 / N.J. Turnpike | |||
| 7.31 | 11.76 | 7 |  CR 526 –Robbinsville,Allentown | |||||
| Mercer–Monmouth county line | Robbinsville–Upper Freehold township line | 8.54 | 13.74 | 8 |  CR 539 –Allentown,Hightstown | |||
| Monmouth | Upper Freehold Township | 11.79 | 18.97 | 11 | Coxs Corner,Imlaystown | Access viaCR 43 | ||
| Monmouth–Ocean county line | Millstone–Jackson township line | 16.71 | 26.89 | 16 |  CR 537 –Freehold,Mount Holly,Six Flags | Signed as exits 16A (west) and 16B (east) eastbound | ||
| Ocean | Jackson Township | 21.04 | 33.86 | 21 |   CR 527 toCR 526 –Siloam,Jackson | |||
| 22.99 | 37.00 | 22 | Georgia,Jackson Mills | Access viaCR 638 | ||||
| Monmouth | Howell Township | 27.17 | 43.73 | 28 |  US 9 –Lakewood,Freehold | Signed as exits 28A (south) and 28B (north) | ||
| 31.57 | 50.81 | 31 |    CR 547 toCR 524 /CR 549 –Lakewood,Farmingdale,Allaire State Park | Signed as exits 31A (south) and (north) | ||||
| Wall Township | 34.17 | 54.99 | 35 |   Route 34 toG.S. Parkway south –Matawan,Brielle,Point Pleasant | Signed as exits 35A (south) and 35B (north) | |||
 G.S. Parkway north Route 138 east –Belmar | Continuation east | |||||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||||
The re-designation of I-95 and a portion of I-295 in New Jersey as I-195, necessitated when the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes are designated as I-95, will indeed require new exit numbers on those interstates as well as the existing stretch of I-195 in New Jersey. This action, which is still approximately 5-6 years away since the new connection between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike needs to be constructed, was acknowledged by the New Jersey Department of Transportation in their support of the re-numbering request to the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Details regarding interim exit numbering and public relations efforts at that time are not available, but will be determined as the project moves forward.
