and US 40/CR 557, US 40/322

US 40 has an odd little divided highway alignment next to the NJ Turnpike for a few miles near the western edge of the state, as if it were meant to continue across the state as a four-lane expressway. That would be nice, given traffic volumes from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the NJ shore. In order to get to that alignment (which bypasses NJ 48, old 40), though, US 40 must use I-295 off the bridge, and then the NJ Turnpike for an "exit" (really, it's the last exit before the tollbooth). Due to the ramp configuration, US 40 EB comes off of the Turnpike NB and heads straight into that divided highway, but US 40 WB must turn right off of the highway and then loop onto the Turnpike SB. The significance of this is that US 40 WB and NJ 140 WB seem to share a multiplex between the EB ramp and the WB ramp, even though 140 WB should begin where US 40 WB leaves the surface street (and signage agrees with the latter point).


NJ 40 WB about to leave for the Turnpike... I mean, US 40 WB. NJ 140 moseys on ahead to US 130, and the roadway beneath is only the Turnpike (SB) for a few hundred more feet until it meets I-295. There is another entrance to I-295 SB ahead, so that all the truckers (and other drivers) stopping for the services between 295 and the Turnpike can get back into Delaware.


US 140 was decommissioned in MD and PA in 1980. Try NJ 140? WB on the divided stretch of highway, including a rare notched-corner Turnpike entrance sign (but not button copy like the one on NJ 32).


US 40 EB leaves the Turnpike and passes a rare white sign on the exit ramp. CR 571 has one like this as well.


Pointing straight down US 40 EB from the NJ Turnpike NB offramp. It was replaced after appearing on this website. That's right folks, you and NJDOT saw it here!


The first photo is eastbound at the beginning of the multiplex, and the second (courtesy Scott Colbert) is the opposite face of that sign from Bailey St. WB. I had thought the line may be there to tell you that NJ 45 goes to the right, but since it also goes to the left, there should be no line, and the Bailey St. side would need to be reversed if that was the intent. A road name (Harding Highway) would also be nice.


Eastbound signage, ending in a sign easily seen while traveling east but actually facing CR 690 NB/EB traffic. The signs pertaining to the six-way juunction, starting from the rare LGS that's not exactly an NJ staple, are all courtesy Lou Corsaro. That junction is US 40 at Weymouth Rd. and Central Ave. near Buena.


There are two of these ancient embossed street sign assemblies in Buena; US 40 is the Harding Highway.


US 40 WB/CR 557 NB on their short but fruitful duplex. The second photo is from CR 627 NB (but easily photographed from the passenger seat), with the Padre Pio shrine in the background. All the signs say Atlantic County, so why not the last shield? Actually, CR 557 crossed the border to Burlington Co. as soon as it turned right at Brewster Rd. and then immediately left again. Since then, the junction was then moved to a realigned Tuckahoe Rd. a half-mile west to simplify this intersection, and the shields there all say Burlington.


CR 557 South used to split from US 40 East right here, but the junction was moved eastward from this multi-point, narrow-angle intersection, thus turning the old 557 (Tuckahoe Rd.) into a dead-end. This photo is courtesy Lou Corsaro.


Stepping back 40 years to what I believe is a 1969 photo from Michael Summa. That county shield is indeed embossed, already an outdated style at the time. (As were the tail fins behind it.)


Oldish signs eastbound at the beginning of the US 40/NJ 50 multiplex (for signs on it, visit the link at the bottom of the page). Apparently Truck CR 557 has been following US 40 since 557 left in the previous photo, but I don't know where Truck CR 559 joined the party.


Another multiplex end, and one of those annoying county shields that doesn't name the county.


Borderless shields on new signs I'll get used to. Maybe the spacing isn't ideal, but it still beats the narrow 3-digit shield on the sign below it. US 40 EB meets US 322 at a converted circle and they ride together into Atlantic City, but US 322 really should just end here.


Instead, the two routes go and pick up a third, with CR 575 SB straight ahead for a bit. (Jughandle to the right.) Granted, CR 575 doesn't hang out here for long. I wish there was a county name in the shield, but what really drew my attention was the ACE smooches on either side. It's harder to read the sign with them but they're so cute!


Differences: no county name, centered number, wider background, different font... and not on US 40/322/CR 575. But it's right after you turn onto Delilah Rd., and there's a story here. This road is supposed to continue north as Zaberers Ave., presumably for a development, and CR 646 turns right at that T intersection. Since there's nothing to the north, it's a stub "T" and people should just be able to freely curve right and left on Delilah Rd. Instead, Atlantic Co. left the whole intersection open, so EB traffic has to be directed to turn right and theoretically could go straight into the dead-end stub. WB traffic has it even better - it's signalized! The signals are set to flashing yellow, and EB traffic is signed to stop if they did want to see the stub, so technically it all works, but in a much more complicated way with much more room for error.


I thought this was an old furnace on the WB side near Fernwood Ave., but despite being built out of cemented stone, it was apparently a tower built to advertise a gas station. The remaining two pillars on top were reportedly supporting a roof as part of a model lighthouse.

Both EB.


Rear-ugly signage (hey, this site is family-friendly), eastbound all at the same intersection.


Another pain in the rear is this WB 40/322 example of South Jersey township signage that ends to use too-small lower case letters.


Pain is eased with this beautiful tower at Our Lady Star of the East Church by Chestnut Ave. in Pleasantville.


Even better, check out the classic Studebaker dealership on the north side of the road by Toulon Ave., in the tiny piece of Egg Harbor that Pleasantville never annexed. (There's more to the south but it's all wetlands or beach. This is the only residential part.)


Driving back west past the dealership, click either photo for a classic closeup of the logo.


Speaking of lighthouse towers built to advertise, this is 2 miles from the city proper but after entering its borders. I've included some of the newer, shinier casinos you can see on the way in along with a small wind farm to the north that serves the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) Wastewater Treatment Facility. The bird is to scale.


This nice sign is WB at Porter Ave., easier to see by foot (at least from April to November) due to trees in the way. Since I got this one square, click for a closeup that will let you read all the text and see the logos nice and large. The air base became Bader Field, and you may want to see my Atlantic County page for more here.


Atlantic Ave. SB in Atlantic City, at the beginnings of both US 322 and US 40, even if they won't acknowledge both.

I-295 and US 40/I-295
Onto NJ 45 and US 40/NJ 45
Onto NJ 50 and US 40/NJ 50
Onto CR 557 alone
Onto US 322 alone
NJ 48, old US 40
Salem CR 675, old NJ 48/US 40

Into Delaware on US 40
Onto the NJ Turnpike
Onto NJ 140
Onto CR 540
Onto CR 553
Onto NJ 55
Onto NJ 54
Onto CR 559
Onto CR 575
Onto US 9
To the Atlantic City Expressway
To the Garden State Parkway
Back to New Jersey Roads
Back to Roads