 Route 139 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Route 139 in red, Route 139U in blue | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byNJDOT andPANYNJ | ||||
| Length | 3.32 mi[1][2][3] (5.34 km) | |||
| Existed | 1988–present | |||
| Restrictions | Nohazardous goods inHolland Tunnel | |||
| Mainline | ||||
| Length | 2.49 mi[1][3] (4.01 km) | |||
| West end |    US 1-9 /US 1-9 Truck /Route 7 inJersey City | |||
| Major intersections |   I-78 Toll in Jersey City | |||
| East end | I-78 at theNew York state line | |||
| Upper level | ||||
| Length | 0.83 mi[2] (1,340 m) | |||
| West end |  CR 501 inJersey City | |||
| East end |  Route 139 (Mainline) in Jersey City | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New Jersey | |||
| Counties | Hudson | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route 139 is astate highway inJersey City, New Jersey in the United States that heads east from thePulaski Skyway overTonnele Circle to the state line withNew Jersey andNew York in theHolland Tunnel, which is under theHudson River, toNew York City. The western portion of the route is a two-level highway that is charted by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) as two separate roadways: The 1.45-mile (2.33 km) lower roadway (Route 139) betweenU.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) over Tonnele Circle andInterstate 78 (I-78) at Jersey Avenue, and the 0.83-mile (1.34 km) upper roadway (Route 139U or Hoboken Avenue) running fromCounty Route 501 (John F. Kennedy Boulevard) and ending where it joins the lower highway as part of the 12th StreetViaduct, which ends at Jersey Avenue. The lower roadway is listed on thefederal andNJ state registers of historic places since 2005. The eastern 1.32 miles (2.12 km) of the route includes the Holland Tunnel approach that runsconcurrent with Interstate 78 on theone-way pair of 12th Street eastbound and 14th Street westbound. Including the concurrency, the total length of Route 139 is 2.77 miles (4.46 km).
What is now Route 139 was originally the northernmost part of theRoute 1 Extension.Route 25 replaced Route 1 in the1927 renumbering. In1953 renumbering, Route 25 was changed back to U.S. Route 1, which had been previously rerouted to cross the Hudson River when theGeorge Washington Bridge opened in 1931. Route 25 from the Pulaski Skyway over Tonnele Circle to the Holland Tunnel becameU.S. Route 1/9 Business. By the 1990s, U.S. Route 1/9 Business was replaced by Route 139.
NJDOT began a rehabilitation program for the lower and upper levels of the highway in 2005. The renovation work for the 12th Street and 14th Street viaducts was completed in 2010. Renovation of the upper roadway, including the Hoboken Avenue Viaduct, and Conrail Viaduct on the lower roadway was expected to be completed by 2016.
_at_the_exit_for_New_Jersey_State_Route_139_WEST_(TO_U.S._Route_1-Interstate_280%2c_Pulaski_Skyway%2c_Kennedy_Boulevard%2c_Jersey_City)_in_Jersey_City%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
Route 139 is essentially three distinct, but connected highways: the upper level, the lower level, and the Holland Tunnel approach (theInterstate 78 concurrency). NJDOT officially charts the lower and upper levels as independent highways, with the lower level considered Route 139 with a notation that the highway then coincides with I-78, and the upper level considered Route 139U, while not signed as such.[1][2][3]
The lower level of Route 139 is a four-lanefreeway with its western end atU.S. Route 1/9 a continuation of thePulaski Skyway overTonnele Circle.[1] A direct ramp, known as the Tonnele Circle Viaduct, passes over the circle, to connect westbound traffic with southboundU.S. Route 1/9 Truck, which quickly connects toRoute 7 that leads toInterstate 280. Northbound U.S. Route 1/9 Truck connects through the circle to eastbound traffic.[4] The skyway soon ends with eastbound and westbound ramps at acut inBergen Hill and the four-lane highway passes underJohn F. Kennedy Boulevard.[1][4] The road turns to the southeast as Conrail'sNational Docks Branch andLong Dock Tunnel crosses over theBergen Arches, an abandonedErie Railroad right-of-way.[5] The highway then enters an enclosed open cut, running under the upper level of Route 139[4] as it passes through theHudson Palisades; this section is known as the Depressed Highway.[6][7] The covered roadway is naturally ventilated, with wide openings on the south side of the eastbound lanes (facing the parallel Bergen Arches right-of-way to the south), and ventilation bays over the westbound lanes.[8] The road re-emerges underPalisade Avenue and splits into two viaducts, one eastbound and one westbound, which merge with Interstate 78 just west of Jersey Avenue at the Holland Tunnel approach.[1][4]
The upper level of Route 139 (also known as State Highway and Hoboken Avenue Viaduct)[5][8] begins at an intersection with County Route 501 (Kennedy Boulevard), which connects toBayonne andUnion City. The road heads to the southeast through urban residential and commercial areas as a four-lane undivided road, coming to an intersection with Collard Street.[2][9] Just past this, the route becomes a four-lane divided road, which is separated by ventilation bays from the lower roadway, with the eastbound lanes running above the lower level of Route 139.[8] It continues betweenthe Heights district to the north and theJournal Square district to the south.[9] It crosses several streets, including County Route 646 (St. Pauls Avenue),County Route 617 (Summit Avenue),County Route 663 (Central Avenue), andCounty Route 644 (Oakland Street).[2] The road meets Concord Street, where there is an eastbound left lane exit and a westbound intersection. After the intersection with Palisade Avenue, the upper level of Route 139 splits and merges with the lower level with a westbound ramp, which has a westbound entrance from the local Hoboken Avenue, and an eastbound ramp.[2][9]
The four-lane 12th Street and 14th Streetviaducts, completed in 1927 and 1951 respectively, carry Upper Route 139 between Jersey Avenue atBoyle Plaza and thecut intoBergen Hill under Palisade Avenue.[8][10] Ramps from the western end of 12th Street Viaduct connect to the upper level roadway at the top of Bergen Hill at the Palisade Avenue intersection. Westbound ramp on north side is separated from the main highway by a reinforced concreteretaining wall; the eastbound ramp on south side is supported by reinforced concrete deckarch spans.[8] The western end of 12th Street Viaduct transitions from two-way to one-way, four-lane eastbound traffic just east of the connection with the westbound 14th Street Viaduct.[4]NJDOT undertook a $92 million project to renew the viaducts.[11] The reason for this project was that the viaducts werestructurally deficient.[12] The steel beams on the viaducts had deteriorated and the concrete was just extra weight.[13] The project included replacement of the concrete deck, retrofitting for earthquakes, repair of thesubstructure andsuperstructure, and construction of ashoulder on westbound 14th Street Viaduct.[11] The rehabilitated viaducts were to also feature ornamental designs to recall the historical significance of the two viaducts.[13] This project was completed in 2010.[11]
The elevated westbound Interstate 78 diverges from 14th Street Viaduct of Route 139 one block west of Jersey Avenue. A viaduct for eastbound Interstate 78 runs along south side of eastern section of the 12th Street Viaduct. The highway merges with Route 139 at eastern terminus of 12th Street Viaduct.[14] From here, Route 139 continues eastconcurrent with that route and passes through business areas as aone-way pair that follows six-lane 12th Street eastbound and six-lane 14th Street westbound. This segment of the route is under the jurisdiction of thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey and this area is also known asBoyle Plaza.[3] The first intersection is with Jersey Avenue, which heads toDowntown Jersey City andHoboken.[14] It intersects with the one-way northbound County Route 633 (Erie Street) next before crossing one-way southboundCounty Route 635 (Grove Street). After Grove Street, the road crosses County Route 637 (Luis Muñoz Marín Boulevard) near theNewport Centre Mall just to the south. Past this intersection, the eastbound traffic comes to the former toll plaza for theHolland Tunnel. From here, the concurrency enters the Holland Tunnel under theHudson River, which carries two lanes in each direction. Route 139 ends at the New Jersey andNew York state line within the tunnel and Interstate 78 continues intoNew York City.[3][14]
At no point in the I-78 concurrency approaching the Holland Tunnel is the road signed as Route 139. The first time the route is signed westbound is at the split with I-78, and the last time it’s signed eastbound is before it merges with I-78. Even in New York, approaching the tunnel, I-78 is signed with the entrance but Route 139 is not.[14]
Route 1 Extension | |
| Location | NJ Route 139, Jersey City mile post 0-1.45 (excludes 14th St. Viaduct & Pulaski Skyway ramps) |
|---|---|
| Part of | Route 1 Extension (ID05000880[8]) |
| NJRHP No. | 1526[15] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 12, 2005 |
| Designated NJRHP | June 13, 2005 |
What is now the lower level of Route 139 was originally designated as the northernmost part ofRoute 1 Extension, which was authorized by theNew Jersey Legislature in 1922, a route that was to extend the existing Route 1 fromElizabeth to theHolland Tunnel inJersey City.[16] When theU.S. Highway System was established in 1926, this road was also designated as part ofU.S. Route 1.[17] In the1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, this highway became part ofRoute 25, a route that was to run from theBen Franklin Bridge inCamden to the Holland Tunnel.[18][19]
In the1953 state highway renumbering, Route 25 designation was changed to U.S. Route 1/9 Business from thePulaski Skyway overTonnele Circle to the Holland Tunnel.[20] By the 1990s, U.S. Route 1/9 Business was renumbered to NJ Route 139.[21][22] Along with the Pulaski Skyway, most of the Route 139 lower level became acontributing property to the Route 1 Extensionhistoric district listed with thestate andfederal registers of historic places in 2005.[8][15]
The Newark Bay Extension of theNew Jersey Turnpike forInterstate 78 was opened in 1956 to provide access from the New Jersey Turnpike to the Holland Tunnel.[23] Route 139 and I-78 were designated asconcurrent where the roads joined at the Holland Tunnel approach near Jersey Avenue all the way to the New York state line in the Holland Tunnel.[1][3]
As part of the Holland Tunnel project, the New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission and the New York State Bridge and Tunnel Commission widened the four blocks of 12th and 14th Streets in Jersey City from Jersey Avenue to Provost Street. 12th Street was widened west of Grove Street to 100 feet (30 m), with the remaining block, at thetoll plaza, being 160 feet (49 m) wide. 14th Street, and the two blocks of Jersey Avenue carrying westbound traffic to the 12th Street Viaduct, were widened to 100 feet (30 m).
The two-way, 12th StreetViaduct from Jersey Avenue to the top ofBergen Hill was opened July 4, 1927.[10] The four-lane, westbound, 1,800-foot (550 m), 14th Street Viaduct, which was connected to the 12th Street Viaduct, was opened on February 13, 1951. ThePort of New York Authority, which superseded the two state tunnel commissions and took over authority for the Holland Tunnel in 1930,[24] built the 14th Street Viaduct in order to avoid the turns to and from Jersey Avenue, but turned over authority over the viaduct to the New Jersey State Highway Commission.[25] The western end of 12th Street Viaduct was transitioned from two-way traffic to one-way, four-lane, eastbound traffic just east of the connection with the westbound 14th Street Viaduct.[8] It was widened on the southern side between span nos. 1-24 on the eastern end to accommodate the merge in 1956 with the eastbound New Jersey Turnpike extension, I-78.[8]
_and_Hudson_County_Route_663_(Central_Avenue)_in_Jersey_City%2c_Hudson_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
In 1928, the completed lower level portion of the highway, along with Route 1 Extension on the eastern side of the Passaic River, was opened as the first part of the eventual high-speed connection between the Holland Tunnel andNewark.[26] The upper level of Route 139 (Hoboken Avenue Viaduct), which provided a multi-lane thoroughfare from Palisades Avenue to John F. Kennedy Boulevard, was also opened.[8]
The high-speedfreeway connection was completed with the opening of thePulaski Skyway in 1932. The Pulaski Skyway ramp at its eastern terminus was eventually replaced with two long outside ramps that were dedicated for eastbound and westbound traffic from thecut in Bergen Hill just west of John F. Kennedy Boulevard.[8] On September 14, 1938, a direct ramp, known as the Tonnele Circle Viaduct, opened over Tonnele Circle to connect westbound traffic with southboundU.S. Route 1/9 Truck, which quickly connects toRoute 7 that leads toInterstate 280.[8]
The Bergen Arches Expressway was proposed in 1989 by GovernorThomas Kean to connect the Jersey City waterfront with a new railroad line, which would provide access to theMeadowlands Sports Complex. This four-lane road was to follow an abandoned railroad line known as theBergen Arches.[27] This proposed highway was strongly supported by Jersey City MayorBret Schundler, who felt that the road could bring further development, as well as provide traffic relief to the four-lane Route 139. In 1998, this project was allocated $26 million in the federalTransportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.[28] Both Jersey City mayor candidates in 2001 supported a transit line instead of a highway along the Bergen Arches.[29] Plans for a highway along the Bergen Arches were dropped in 2002 as leaders of Jersey City, including MayorGlenn Dale Cunningham, favored mass transit.[30]
In a controversial move in 2011, GovernorChris Christie directed thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey to divert money originally earmarked for theAccess to the Region's Core rail project to highway projects. The agency agreed to pay $1.8 billion to partially fund rehabilitation to the Pulaski Skyway and Route 139, and other projects that it considers part of the larger distribution network in thePort of New York and New Jersey.[31][32][33]
The Route 139 project rehabilitated the eastbound side of Hoboken Avenue Viaduct and resurfaced the westbound roadway. There were operational improvements at several intersections on the upper roadway, replacing all overpasses.[34] It also replaced the deck and rehabilitated thesuperstructure of the Conrail Viaduct. The total project cost was estimated at $180–200 million and was expected to be completed by 2016,[5][33][35] then later pushed back to 2019.[36] The Pulaski Skyway reopened in mid-2018,[37] and the lower level of Route 139 was temporarily restored to four lanes in December 2018, but was partially closed again in early 2019.[36][38] Improvements added to Route 139's lower level in 2019 included new lighting and new pavement markings.[39]
The section of 12th Street east of Marin Boulevard, which carries the eastbound I-78 and Route 139 toward the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City, was narrowed from six to four lanes afteropen road tolling wasimplemented at the Holland Tunnel.[40] Subsequently, in 2025, theUnited States Department of Transportation awarded a $25 million grant to thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey to narrow the stretch of 12th Street between Jersey Avenue and Marin Boulevard.[40][41]
The entire route is inHudson County.
| Location | mi[1][3] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey City | 0.00 | 0.00 |  US 1-9 south (Pulaski Skyway) –Newark | Western terminus | |
  US 1-9 Truck south toI-280 –Newark,Kearny,Bayonne | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to I-280 via Route 7; all trucks must exit | ||||
   US 1-9 north (Tonnele Avenue) toRoute 495 –Secaucus,Lincoln Tunnel | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance toTonnele Circle | ||||
| 0.41– 1.00 | 0.66– 1.61 | Tunnel under Hoboken Avenue (Route 139 Lower Level) | |||
| 1.13 | 1.82 | To Kennedy Boulevard (CR 501) –Jersey City | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance to Hoboken Avenue (Upper Level) | ||
| 1.20 | 1.93 |     I-78 Toll west toI-95 Toll /N.J. Turnpike | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of I-78 concurrency | ||
| 1.45 | 2.33 | Eastern end of freeway section | |||
| Jersey Avenue (CR 631) –Lincoln Tunnel | |||||
| 1.69 | 2.72 | Marin Boulevard (CR 637) | Last eastbound exit before toll | ||
| Hudson River | 2.49 | 4.01 | Holland Tunnel (eastbound toll;E-ZPass ortoll-by-plate) | ||
 I-78 east –New York City | Continuation intoNew York at the river's center; eastern end of I-78 concurrency | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
The entire route is inJersey City,Hudson County.
| mi[2] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | 0.00 | CR 501 (Kennedy Boulevard) toUS 1-9 | |||
| 0.40 | 0.64 | Central Avenue (CR 663) | |||
| 0.78 | 1.26 | Palisade Avenue (CR 654) | No left turns | ||
| 0.83 | 1.34 |  I-78 east / Route 139 east | Hoboken Avenue merges with lower level | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
U.S. Roads portal
New Jersey portalNJ 1922, Chapter 253.
