View source for New Jersey Route 44

{{Short description|State highway in Gloucester County, New Jersey, US}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=NJ
|type=NJ
|route=44
|alternate_name=
|map={{maplink-road}}
|map_custom=yes
|length_mi=10.28
|length_ref=<ref name="sld">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/00000044__-.pdf |title=Route 44 straight line diagram|publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|access-date=March 17, 2020}}</ref>

|direction_a=South
|terminus_a=Barker Avenue in [[Bridgeport, New Jersey|Bridgeport]]
|junction=
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=NJ|I|295|US|130|CR|640|county3=Gloucester}} in [[West Deptford Township, New Jersey|West Deptford Township]]
|established=1927
|counties=[[Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester]]
|previous_type=NJ-old
|previous_route=43
|next_type=NJ
|next_route=45
}}
'''Route 44''' is a [[state highway]] located in [[Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[New Jersey]]. It runs {{convert|10.28|mi|km|2|abbr=on}} from Barker Avenue in [[Bridgeport, New Jersey|Bridgeport]] to [[Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania)|Interstate 295]] (I-295)/[[U.S. Route 130]] (US 130) in [[Thorofare, New Jersey|Thorofare]]. The route, which is mostly a two-lane undivided road, passes through the communities of [[Gibbstown, New Jersey|Gibbstown]] and [[Paulsboro, New Jersey|Paulsboro]] in the northern part of the county, a short distance south of the [[Delaware River]]. Route 44 generally runs a short distance to the north of I-295/US 130 for much of its length.

In 1923, '''Route 17S''' was legislated along the current route followed by Route 44 today, running between [[Penns Grove, New Jersey|Penns Grove]] and [[Westville, New Jersey|Westville]]. The only portion of Route 17S ever built ran from Penns Grove to [[Salem, New Jersey|Salem]]. Route 44 was designated in 1927 to replace Route 17S between Penns Grove and Westville. By the 1940s, Route 44 was extended south to Salem and US 130 was designated [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with the route north of Penns Grove. Several spurs of Route 44 had existed or were planned prior to 1953, including Route S44, which ran concurrent with US 322 to the ferry between Bridgeport and [[Chester, Pennsylvania]]; '''Route S44A''', a never-built bypass of [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]; and [[New Jersey Route 44T|Route 44T]], which was to run from a [[tunnel]] under the Delaware River in Paulsboro east to [[New Jersey Route 42|Route 42]]. In 1953, Route 44 was replaced by US 130 north of [[Deepwater, New Jersey|Deepwater]] and by [[New Jersey Route 49|Route 49]] south of there. After two bypasses were built for US 130 around [[Carneys Point, New Jersey|Carneys Point]] and between Bridgeport and Westville, Route 44 was redesignated along the former US 130. After I-295 was completed in the 1960s, US 130 returned to its original alignment in Carneys Point and replaced that portion of Route 44.

== Route description ==
[[File:2018-08-26 11 29 17 View south along New Jersey State Route 44 (East Broad Street) just south of Gloucester County Route 653 (Swedesboro-Billingsport Road) in Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|View south along Route 44 at CR 653 in Greenwich Township]]
Route 44 begins at an intersection with Main Street and Barker Avenue in the community of [[Bridgeport, New Jersey|Bridgeport]] in [[Logan Township, New Jersey|Logan Township]], heading to the east on Crown Point Road, a two-lane undivided road.<ref name="sld"/> Shortly after beginning, the route heads through wooded areas a short distance to the north of [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations]]' [[Penns Grove Secondary]] and intersects County Route 671 (CR 671). The road turns northeast and comes to an interchange with [[U.S. Route 130|US 130]] and continues closely parallel to the railroad line as it passes through more rural areas with some homes, coming to a junction with CR 684 and Flood Gate Road, the latter of which heads northwest to provide access to [[Bridgeport Speedway]].  Route 44 enters [[Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey|Greenwich Township]] upon crossing the marshy Repaupo Creek and becomes a local road called West Broad Street. The route passes over the railroad tracks and continues east into residential and commercial areas of [[Gibbstown, New Jersey|Gibbstown]], intersecting CR 607/CR 673 and CR 680 within the town.<ref name="sld"/><ref name=gm>{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=main+street+and+stump+road+bridgeport,+nj&daddr=Crown+Point+Rd%2FMain+St%2FNJ-44+N+to:E+Broad+St+to:Crown+Point+Rd+to:crown+point+road+and+delaware+street+west+deptford,+nj&geocode=%3BFUZOXwIdPIyC-w%3BFV6zXwIdAJqD-w%3BFcgRYAIdhuyE-w%3B&hl=en&mra=ls&via=1,2,3&sll=39.849601,-75.179229&sspn=0.015057,0.027595&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12|title=overview of New Jersey Route 44|access-date=2009-10-19}}</ref>

[[File:2020-09-02 09 00 20 View south along New Jersey State Route 44 (Crown Point Road) just south of Gloucester County Route 640 (Delaware Street) in West Deptford Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|View south along Route 44 at CR 640 in West Deptford Township]]
At the intersection with CR 653, Route 44 enters [[Paulsboro, New Jersey|Paulsboro]] and passes more developed areas, soon meeting CR 678. The route intersects CR 667 in the center of Paulsboro before crossing the Mantua Creek on a [[lift bridge]] and entering wetlands within [[West Deptford Township, New Jersey|West Deptford Township]]. Here, the road heads into a mix of rural lands and development, crossing CR 656 and the Little Mantua Creek. Route 44 intersects the Mid-Atlantic Parkway, which provides access to [[Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania)|I-295]] and US 130 a short distance to the south, before continuing into inhabited areas.<ref name="sld"/><ref name=gm/> Here, the road crosses the Conrail line and CR 643. The route becomes a four-lane road and has access ramps to and from southbound I-295/US 130 prior to coming to a crossroads with CR 640 in [[Thorofare, New Jersey|Thorofare]].<ref name="sld"/> Past CR 640, the route closely parallels I-295/US 130 and crosses Woodbury Creek.  Route 44 passes a mobile home park before coming to an end at cul-de-sac that has an access ramp to southbound Route 44 from southbound I-295/US 130.<ref name="sld"/><ref name=gm/>

== History ==
[[File:NJ 44 NB past Gloucester CR 678.jpeg|thumb|left|Route 44 northbound past CR 678 in Paulsboro]]
What is now Route 44 was originally legislated as Route 17S in 1923, a route that was to run from [[Penns Grove, New Jersey|Penns Grove]] to [[Westville, New Jersey|Westville]].<ref name="1920r17S">State of New Jersey, Laws of 1923, Chapter 199.</ref> By 1927, however, the only portion of Route 17S that had existed was a road that ran from Penns Grove south to [[Salem, New Jersey|Salem]].<ref name=ttmap>{{cite map|url=http://www.jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/maps/1927tt2.jpg|title=Map of New Jersey|year=1927|publisher=Tydol Trails|access-date=2009-03-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514153745/http://www.jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/maps/1927tt2.jpg|archive-date=2011-05-14}}</ref> In the [[1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering]] that occurred that year, Route 44 was designated to run from Penns Grove to Westville, replacing what had been legislated as Route 17S.<ref name=nj1927>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.</ref><ref name="Map">{{cite map|url=http://www.jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/images/1927_routes.gif|title=1927 New Jersey Road Map|publisher=State of New Jersey|access-date=2008-10-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313112746/http://jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/images/1927_routes.gif|archive-date=2016-03-13}}</ref> By the end of the 1930s, Route 44 was extended south from Penns Grove to Salem and US 130 was also designated along with Route 44 north of Penns Grove by 1941.<ref name=nj1939>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1939, compiled.</ref><ref name="mwm">{{cite map|publisher=Mid-West Map Co.|title= Map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey |year=1941|cartography=[[H.M. Gousha]]|url=http://www.mapsofpa.com/roadcart/1941_1467m.jpg|access-date=2009-03-29}}</ref>

[[File:NJ S44A (cutout).svg|thumb|right|100px|Route S44A (planned in 1938)]]Prior to 1953, several spurs of Route 44 existed or were planned. Route S44 was designated in 1939 as a connection from Route 44 in Bridgeport to the ferry across the [[Delaware River]] to [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], and was concurrent with [[U.S. Route 322 in New Jersey|US 322]].<ref name=nj1939/> The S44 designation was removed in 1953 to avoid the concurrency with US 322.<ref name="nj1953">{{citation|title=1953 renumbering|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|publisher=New Jersey Department of Highways|access-date=2009-07-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628183145/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|archive-date=2011-06-28}}</ref><ref name=nyt>{{cite news|access-date=2009-07-20|title=New Road Signs Ready in New Jersey|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=1952-12-16|url=http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/6933/19521216newroadsignsreaiu6.jpg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721112422/http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/6933/19521216newroadsignsreaiu6.jpg|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2011}}</ref> In 1974, the [[Commodore Barry Bridge]] was built, bypassing the ferry, and the old alignment of US 322 became [[New Jersey Route 324|Route 324]].<ref name="sld 2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000322__-.pdf |title=US 322 Straight Line Diagram|work=Internet Archives WayBack Machine|publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation|year=2004|access-date=2007-06-14 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040724135549/http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000322__-.pdf |archive-date = 2004-07-24}}</ref><ref name="324sld">{{cite web|publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000324__-.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628182231/http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000324__-.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-28 |url-status=live|title=Route 324 straight line diagram|access-date=2007-03-19}}</ref> Route S44A was planned in 1938 as an eastern bypass of [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] from [[New Jersey Route 45|Route 45]] in [[Brooklawn, New Jersey|Brooklawn]] to [[New Jersey Route 40|Route 40]] (now [[New Jersey Route 70|Route 70]]) and [[New Jersey Route 41|Route 41]] in [[Delaware Township, Camden County, New Jersey|Delaware Township]] (now [[Cherry Hill, New Jersey|Cherry Hill]]), mostly along what is now [[County Route 551 (New Jersey)|CR 551]].  The bypass was never built, although part of what would have been the bypass north of [[Haddonfield, New Jersey|Haddonfield]] is now Route 41.<ref name=nj1938>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1938, Chapter 374.</ref> [[New Jersey Route 44T|Route 44T]] was planned in 1938 as an approach to a never-built [[tunnel]] under the Delaware River near Paulsboro. Originally, the route was to run from the tunnel east to the intersection of Route 41 and [[New Jersey Route 47|Route 47]] in [[Deptford Township, New Jersey|Deptford Township]].<ref name=nj19382>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1938, Chapter 367.</ref>  In 1939, the planned route was extended east to [[New Jersey Route 42|Route 42]] between [[Blackwood, New Jersey|Blackwood]] and [[Williamstown, New Jersey|Williamstown]].<ref name=nj19392>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1939, Chapter 264.</ref>

[[File:2021-07-15 09 16 12 View south along New Jersey State Route 44 (Crown Point Road) from the overpass for U.S. Route 130 in Logan Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|Route 44 southbound at US 130 in Logan Township]]
In the [[1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering]], Route 44 was replaced by US 130 north of the [[Delaware Memorial Bridge]] approach in [[Deepwater, New Jersey|Deepwater]] and by [[New Jersey Route 49|Route 49]] south of there.<ref name="nj1953"/><ref name=nyt/> However, US 130 was moved to new [[freeway]] alignments around [[Carneys Point, New Jersey|Carneys Point]] and between Bridgeport and Westville. The bypassed alignments of US 130, originally unnumbered, eventually became Route 44.<ref name="nj1953"/><ref name=nyt/><ref name="1964map">{{cite map|title=Delaware Road Map|year=1964|publisher=Rand McNally}}</ref> After I-295 was built in the 1960s, it bypassed the portion of the US 130 freeway in Bridgeport and was designated along the US 130 freeway north to Westville and around Carneys Point. US 130 was moved back onto its old alignment in Carneys Point, replacing that portion of Route 44.<ref name="chevron">{{cite map|publisher=[[Chevron Oil Company]]|title= Map of New Jersey |year=1969|cartography=[[H.M. Gousha]]}}</ref>

== Major intersections ==
{{Jcttop|length_ref=<ref name="sld"/>|state=NJ|county=Gloucester}}
{{NJint
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=NJ|to1=to|I|295|dir1=north|US|130|dir2=north}}
|location=Logan Township
|lspan=2
|notes=Southern terminus; access via Barker Avenue
}}
{{NJint
|mile=0.86
|road={{jct|state=NJ|US|130|to2=to|I|295|dir2=north|location1=[[Commodore Barry Bridge]]}}
|notes=Interchange
}}
{{NJint
|mile=9.20
|road={{jct|state=NJ|I|295|dir1=south|US|130|dir2=south}}
|location=West Deptford Township
|lspan=2
|notes=Exit 21 on I-295
}}
{{NJint
|mile=10.28
|road={{jct|state=NJ|I|295|US|130|CR|640|county3=Gloucester|name3=Delaware Street}}
|notes=Northern terminus; exit 22 on I-295
}}
{{Jctbtm}}

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{Portal-inline|New Jersey}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220029/http://www.njroads.org/ends/44/nj44.htm New Jersey Highway Ends: Route 44]
*[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/rt44.shtm Speed Limits for Route 44]

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:044}}
[[Category:State highways in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Gloucester County, New Jersey]]