Dyl's Roads & Travels: NJ 139

NJ 139 consists of three different roadways stitched together: the lower level, the upper level, and the Holland Tunnel approach together with I-78. This page covers the lower level and upper level, see the Holland Tunnel approach here.

The road was originally known as US 1-9 Business (signed as US 1&9 Business) but was renumbered when NJDOT phased out special routes for the most part. NJ 139 likely got the number because the 3 resembles an ampersand.

What NJDOT defines as the mainline of NJ 139 is the lower level and the Holland Tunnel approach. The upper level is listed as a separate route, NJ 139U.

Lower Level:

The mainline of NJ 139. The lower level begins as soon as US 1-9 dumps off the Pulaski Skyway into the mouth of hell known as the Tonnele Circle. This serves as a direct connection between the Skyway and the Holland Tunnel.

US 1-9 dumps off the Skyway to enter the Tonnele Circle and NJ 139 begins.

The first NJ 139 shield.

What is NJDOT thinking placing a US 1 milepost here well after US 1-9 left for the Tonnele Circle?

Now westbound where NJ 139 ends at US 1-9. The left lane joins the Pulaski Skyway (mainline US 1-9) while the right lane uses a loop ramp to connect to US 1-9 Truck. The TO I-280 sign is correct on a technicality, but US 1-9 Truck connects to I-280 via NJ 7 and CR 508. But not everything can be fit on the BGS here.

The ramp for US 1-9 NB dumps traffic straight into the mouth of hell, I mean the Tonnele Circle.

NJ 139 passes under JFK Boulevard (CR 501). This is where NJ 139U begins, but there's no direct access to NJ 139U from NJ 139 EB here. On the other hand, there is slightly indirect access between NJ 139U WB to the Tonnele Circle, which is the end of NJ 139.

An old US 1 shield on NJ 139. This exceptionally rare specimen likely dates back to when this was Business US 1-9, but the Business banner and the US 9 shield are missing.

NJ 139 enters the trench known as the covered roadway.

The trench that NJ 139 uses to traverse Bergen Hill. Directly above the EB roadway is NJ 139U, and above the WB roadway are grates to allow the trench to ventilate.

At Palisade Avenue, NJ 139 sees the open air again.

NJ 139U prepares to merge into mainline NJ 139. The westbound direction of NJ 139U (right) has a concrete retaining wall, while the eastbound direction of NJ 139U (left) has a set of relatively dignified deck arches.

The two levels of NJ 139 join, I-78 joins shortly after, and a horrid mess is created. See the mess here.

Upper Level:

The upper level of NJ 139, known by NJDOT as NJ 139U, serves as a vertical spur of NJ 139. This connects NJ 139 from the Holland Tunnel and Newport with the uphill districts of Jersey City (Journal Square, the Heights), ultimately ending at JFK Boulevard, CR 501.

NJ 139U begins at CR 501.

Two things are wrong with the shield on the left. First of all, it's US 1-9, not NJ 1-9. And the ampersand is inconsistent with how US 1-9 is usually signed (with a dash / hyphen). But see the ampersand again, because this emphasizes why NJ 139 was chosen as the number.