New Jersey State Highway 495
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New Jersey State Highway 495 connects the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) to the Lincoln Tunnel. It was originally an interstate highway but was downgraded to a state highway when it became evident that no connection between it and Interstate 495 in Long Island, New York could be built, as highway construction in Manhattan is prohibitively expensive.
The section of roadway between Paterson Plank Road and the Lincoln Tunnel, through Union City and Weehawken, opened in 1938, soon after the opening of the tunnel's original (center) tube. It became an extension of NJ 3 in 1939.
In 1952, another section of the highway opened as part of Turnpike interchange 16 (now 16E). These sections were connected in 1953, with the completion of the North Bergen Viaduct. With the arrival of the interstate highway system, the road was designated I-495 in 1959, but it was decommissioned and became NJ 495 in 1980. However, the last interstate shield was not replaced by a state highway marker until 2003.