New Jersey Route 139

New Jersey Route 139
State	NJ
Type	NJ
Route	139
Length mi	2.77
Established	1953
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Holland Tunnel approach in Hudson County
Counties	Hudson County

New Jersey Route 139 is a short but complex arterial highway connecting Interstate 78, the Pulaski Skyway, and the Holland Tunnel approaches through Jersey City in Hudson County. The corridor serves local and regional traffic between Newark–New York City travel axes, linking to Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1/9, and multiple county and municipal streets near Exchange Place, Marin Boulevard, and the Newport waterfront. Despite its short length, the route is a crucial piece of the New Jersey Department of Transportation network and the broader Port Authority of New York and New Jersey transportation system.

Route description

The route begins at the westbound ramps from the Pulaski Skyway and proceeds eastward through a sequence of elevated viaducts, grade-separated ramps, and surface-level collectors that serve Pavonia Yard, the Journal Square Transportation Center, and the New Jersey Transit waterfront lines. Along its alignment the highway interfaces with Interstate 78, the Lincoln Highway, and local arterials such as Columbus Drive and County Route 605, providing access to transit hubs including PATH stations, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and ferry terminals that connect to Battery Park City and World Trade Center. The eastern end funnels traffic into the multi-bore approaches that descend into the Holland Tunnel portals under the Hudson River, adjacent to the Battery Park City Authority and the Municipal Parking Authority of New York City jurisdictional interfaces.

History

The corridor traces roots to early 20th-century turnpikes and port approaches used during the expansion of the Port of New York and New Jersey and the growth of Jersey City as a rail and shipping hub served by companies such as the Erie Railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Mid-century planning by the New Jersey State Highway Department and federal agencies led to construction projects tied to the Interstate Highway System and postwar urban renewal programs influenced by planners like Robert Moses and engineers associated with the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. The present alignment was designated in the 1950s amid renumbering events tracked alongside New Jersey Route 1, U.S. Route 1/9 Truck, and the conversion of the Hoboken Terminal approaches, and it has undergone successive alterations during work on the Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation and the modernization programs managed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Major intersections

Major junctions along the route include grade-separated connections to Interstate 78 and ramps serving U.S. Route 1/9, a link to the New Jersey Route 7 corridor via municipal connectors, and surface intersections with Marin Boulevard and Columbus Drive near Exchange Place and Harborside Financial Center. The eastern terminus integrates with the approach roadways to the Holland Tunnel, which connect to New York State Route 9A in Manhattan and feed traffic toward West Side Highway and the FDR Drive. These intersections are coordinated with signalized networks serving Jersey City Medical Center, regional bus terminals operated by NJ Transit Bus Operations, and private access to developments like Newport Centre Mall.

Traffic and usage

Traffic patterns reflect commuter flows between Newark Liberty International Airport and New York City as well as local movements to the Jersey City waterfront corporate districts such as the Exchange Place Financial District and the Harborside Financial Center. Peak-period volumes interact with freight movements tied to the Port Authority Marine Terminal operations, regional rail freight connections formerly used by Conrail and current shortline operators, and truck traffic serving intermodal facilities near Pavonia Yard and the North Jersey Coast Line freight crossings. Incident response involves coordination among agencies including the New Jersey State Police, the Jersey City Police Department, and the Port Authority Police Department.

Maintenance and improvements

Maintenance responsibility is shared between state and regional agencies, principally the New Jersey Department of Transportation with coordination by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for tunnel-related infrastructure. Improvement projects have included structural rehabilitation of elevated sections, seismic and scour retrofits informed by standards from the Federal Highway Administration, and pavement, drainage, and lighting upgrades funded through state transportation plans and federal grant programs such as those administered by the United States Department of Transportation. Recent programs addressed bridge deck replacement, ramp reconfiguration to improve merge operations with Interstate 78, and streetscape enhancements tied to transit-oriented development led by Jersey City Municipal Council initiatives.

Cultural and notable features

The route passes landmarks and districts that include proximity to the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad legacy sites, views of the New York City skyline and Statue of Liberty, and adjacency to cultural venues like the Mana Contemporary arts center and waterfront public spaces near Liberty State Park. Architectural and urban features influenced by the Beaux-Arts movement and later Modernist architecture are visible in nearby historic structures such as the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal and redeveloped industrial complexes converted into mixed-use projects by developers associated with Goldman Sachs and Hartz Mountain Industries. Public art installations, commuter-oriented retail nodes, and historic plaques commemorate the corridor’s role in regional transportation history and port development.

Category:State highways in Hudson County, New Jersey