New Jersey Roads - CR 540



The first photo above is courtesy Scott Colbert, and the second is courtesy Chris Mason. Why do Salem County shields fade to red? (It happens again below.)


Despite what this WB milepost has to say, CR 540 technically extends west along NJ 140, so do also visit that page via the big link at the bottom.


CR 540 is Hawks Bridge Road, so of course the first photo-worthy location is Hawks Bridge itself. Sadly, guiderail obscures the pertinent information about this bridge.


EB to Quaker Neck Rd./CR 657 in Alloway, the bottom green sign. The top green sign is CR 540. CR 657 begins here and heads toward Salem.


EB and WB at CR 581, which was pretending to be closed that day. The pavement was in rough condition, but I did not follow the posted detour with its reddish county shields when I was on 581. Of course, now I'm on 540. The WB side has an off-kilter distance sign and shows little directional tabs on the overhead sign. I haven't seen that anywhere else in New Jersey, so I don't know why it was used here.


The deeper into South Jersey I get, the more AAA signs I find. The first pair are at CR 640, Alloway-Friesburg Rd., but unfortunately I had seen so many AAA signs by this point that I didn't want to stop just for this one. Click on it for a clearer version also showing the CR 640 EB view, courtesy Scott Sullivan. Scott also submitted the second photo, CR 635 (Old Cohansey Rd.) SB. It's by far in the worst condition of any AAA sign I've seen, as if a tree in the back of someone's truck was hanging out too far, so it's probably not around much longer.


Through the fields to a short duplex. The square shield with the faded 3 is courtesy Doug Kerr, and no longer exists (or else I would have seen it when I took the last photo). The LWS is for Centreton (now spelled Centerton, and has been for who knows how long), Parvin St. Park (both to the left), and Bridgeton (to the right).


WB through the very short multiplex, signed just as strangely in this direction, with an old blue guide sign to boot.


Alvine Rd. (CR 655) SB, the bottom and top of the same assembly. I got such good resolution, I didn't want to spoil it by cramming both signs into one photo.

The WB AAA sign ties the entire assembly together.


One more, from the next intersection east, Gershal Ave. (CR 638) NB.


Past Orchard Rd. to Quigley Rd. in Vineland, where CR 540 does a one-block dance to avoid the end of Almond Rd. at NJ 47, preventing a multiplex. CR 747 is all of a block long, and doesn't even get signed to 47 NB. Meanwhile CR 540 hogs all the glory with its extra-arrowy banner.


Nothing much interesting in the WB direction either. Cumberland County is excellent at signing its county routes, even those that no longer officially exist (that's not the case here), but 747 really doesn't do anything to have earned a number.


Again with the double arrow, as if you had a choice between turning left or backing up, and then a state-issue sign. Glassboro and Camden are both on NJ 47 to the north, implying that the 747-540 combination can be used as a jughandle for a U-turn. Since 47 is undivided, I don't see the purpose of that, nor do I see any reason to sign these cities here. Perhaps at the actual intersection with 47 itself, this would make sense, but the first shield does a fine job of telling you to turn left if you dislike dead-ends. (Well, if you go straight, you end up traveling a large 270-degree loop that then comes from the right and continues on 540 East anyway.)


I don't know what Cumberland County was smoking when arranging the font on this sign, but it must have distorted their vision. Oh, and West and East don't lend themselves very well to directionality (South East Boulevard --> Southeast Boulevard). CR 540 EB at CR 615 in Vineland, courtesy Scott Colbert.

CR 540 WB leaves CR 555 NB.


Just some EB county shields.

Onto NJ 140 and 140/CR 540

Onto CR 581
Onto CR 553
Onto West/East Blvds., CR 615
Onto CR 555
Into Salem County
Into Cumberland County
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