Ocean Highway (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Ocean Highway was a state highway
in the U.S. state
of New Jersey
. Legislated in 1909 as Ocean Boulevard, it was New Jersey's first state highway. Amending legislation in 1910 changed the designation to Ocean Highway.
This route, and the Delaware River Drive
predated any highway numbering system in New Jersey, and may be considered a transition between the early auto trail
s
and modern state highways.
It is not directly related to Ocean Drive
.
to Cape May
. The 1910 Annual Report of the New Jersey Commissioner of Public Roads
refers to the funding of several projects:
For the improvement of a road along the bluff at Atlantic Highlands, conditioned upon the county expending a like amount.....$10,000.00
For filling in the head of Wesley Lake and the construction of a roadway between Ocean Grove
and Asbury Park.....$5,700.00
For the acquisition of land and the opening up and improvement of the road known as the extension of Ocean Avenue in the Borough of Spring Lake
.....$4,300.00
For the improvement of the road between Lakewood
and Tom's River
.....$11,000.00
For the improvement of the road between New Gretna
and the Mullica River
Bridge.....$7,000.00
For the straightening, widening and improvement of the road between Chestnut Neck and Absecon
.....$5,000.00
For the improvement of the Main Shore Road between Cape May Court House
and Cape May, and the road between Petersburg and Seaville.....$7,000.00
From the above projects, it would appear that this route would follow Ocean Boulevard through Atlantic Highlands to Navesink Avenue in Highlands
. From there it would follow Ocean Avenue south through Monmouth County along the Atlantic Ocean
. The Ocean Highway then crossed into Ocean County, probably via the present Route 35 and continued on to Lakewood probably via the present Route 88. It then roughly followed U.S. Route 9, Route 166
, Route 167
and Route 109 to Cape May. A short spur from Seaville to Petersburg in Upper Township
is now part of Route 50.
In 1916, legislation was passed authorizing the extension of the Ocean Highway west from Atlantic Highlands to Matawan Creek
, but it is unlikely that this was ever acted upon, as later that year (The Egan Bill) legislation was passed establishing a system of numbered state highways
that replaced the Ocean Highway with Route 4, which took a more inland route through Monmouth County and extended only as far south as Absecon. The 1917 Edge Bill created Route 14, which followed the old Ocean Highway route from Seaville to Cape May, as well as the Petersburg Spur.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Legislated in 1909 as Ocean Boulevard, it was New Jersey's first state highway. Amending legislation in 1910 changed the designation to Ocean Highway.
This route, and the Delaware River Drive
Delaware River Drive
-Route description:A 1913 map of the proposed New Jersey State Highway System with an accompanying report shows the route of the Delaware River Drive beginning at the State Capitol on West State Street in Trenton...
predated any highway numbering system in New Jersey, and may be considered a transition between the early auto trail
Auto trail
The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in the early days of the automobile.Auto trails were...
s
and modern state highways.
It is not directly related to Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive (New Jersey)
Ocean Drive is a series of local roads in southern New Jersey, connecting Atlantic City to Cape May along barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Route description
The Ocean Highway was to run from Atlantic HighlandsAtlantic Highlands, New Jersey
Atlantic Highlands is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey in the Bayshore Region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,385...
to Cape May
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
. The 1910 Annual Report of the New Jersey Commissioner of Public Roads
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
refers to the funding of several projects:
For the improvement of a road along the bluff at Atlantic Highlands, conditioned upon the county expending a like amount.....$10,000.00
For filling in the head of Wesley Lake and the construction of a roadway between Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean Jersey Shore, between Asbury Park to the north and Bradley Beach to the south...
and Asbury Park.....$5,700.00
For the acquisition of land and the opening up and improvement of the road known as the extension of Ocean Avenue in the Borough of Spring Lake
Spring Lake, New Jersey
Spring Lake is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,993....
.....$4,300.00
For the improvement of the road between Lakewood
Lakewood Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...
and Tom's River
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
.....$11,000.00
For the improvement of the road between New Gretna
New Gretna, New Jersey
New Gretna is an unincorporated area within Bass River Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08224....
and the Mullica River
Mullica River
The Mullica River is a river in southern New Jersey in the United States. The Mullica was once known as the Little Egg Harbor River.The river provides one of the principal drainages into the Atlantic Ocean of the extensive Pinelands...
Bridge.....$7,000.00
For the straightening, widening and improvement of the road between Chestnut Neck and Absecon
Absecon, New Jersey
Absecon is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 8,411.What is now the City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor...
.....$5,000.00
For the improvement of the Main Shore Road between Cape May Court House
Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Cape May Court House is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 4,704...
and Cape May, and the road between Petersburg and Seaville.....$7,000.00
From the above projects, it would appear that this route would follow Ocean Boulevard through Atlantic Highlands to Navesink Avenue in Highlands
Highlands, New Jersey
Highlands is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,005. It is the home town of film maker, director, and comic book writer Kevin Smith. The eastern part of the town is built on a high bluff that overlooks Sandy...
. From there it would follow Ocean Avenue south through Monmouth County along the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The Ocean Highway then crossed into Ocean County, probably via the present Route 35 and continued on to Lakewood probably via the present Route 88. It then roughly followed U.S. Route 9, Route 166
New Jersey Route 166
Route 166 is a short, state highway in Ocean County, New Jersey. The route provides an alternate alignment of U.S. Route 9 through South Toms River and Toms River. The southern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Route 9 northbound in Beachwood, where it heads northward along Atlantic City...
, Route 167
New Jersey Route 167
Route 167 is a short, long unsigned state highway in Atlantic and Burlington Counties in New Jersey. The route is one of the few discontinuous state highways in New Jersey, split by wetlands, the Garden State Parkway and the Mullica River. Although the alignment is registered by the New Jersey...
and Route 109 to Cape May. A short spur from Seaville to Petersburg in Upper Township
Upper Township, New Jersey
Upper Township is a large township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population was 12,115 as of the United States 2000 Census...
is now part of Route 50.
History
The Ocean Highway was first authorized in 1909 and was New Jersey's first state highway. It was reauthorized in 1910, and it was under that legislation that any appropriations were made, and that any construction was to take place.In 1916, legislation was passed authorizing the extension of the Ocean Highway west from Atlantic Highlands to Matawan Creek
Matawan Creek
Matawan Creek is a creek and partially a tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies in the east central sector of New Jersey across from Staten Island, New York....
, but it is unlikely that this was ever acted upon, as later that year (The Egan Bill) legislation was passed establishing a system of numbered state highways
History of state highways in New Jersey (pre-1927)
New Jersey was one of the first U.S. states to adopt a system of numbered state highways. The Egan Bill designated the initial system of 13 routes:*Route 1, Elizabeth - Rahway - New Brunswick - Hightstown - Trenton...
that replaced the Ocean Highway with Route 4, which took a more inland route through Monmouth County and extended only as far south as Absecon. The 1917 Edge Bill created Route 14, which followed the old Ocean Highway route from Seaville to Cape May, as well as the Petersburg Spur.