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Skyline Drive (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Skyline Drive is a 5.76-mile long road in Northern New Jersey
, between Interstate 287
in Oakland
, Bergen County
and County Route 511
in Ringwood
, Passaic County
, passing through Ringwood State Park
in the Ramapo Mountains
. It is a major route for those in the Ringwood and Wanaque area to get to Interstate 287. The road is also known as County Route S91 in Bergen County and County Route 692 in Passaic County. County Route S91 continues south for 0.73 miles from the southern terminus of Skyline Drive on West Oakland Avenue to U.S. Route 202
.
The road offers a brief view of the Manhattan
skyline
, 20 miles (32.2 km) away, while heading southbound. The steep and narrow road is often impassable in winter due to ice and snow. As of April 1, 2001, the New Jersey Department of Transportation
imposed a ban on trucks exceeding 10 tons from using Skyline Drive. This ban follows an incident in December 2000, in which three Ringwood residents were killed by a 40-ton dump truck that had lost control on the roadway and fell to its side.
(co-signed as Bergen County Route 91 due to county maintenance) in the community of Oakland
. The route heads westward as West Oakland Avenue, crossing over the tracks for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and paralleling to the south of Interstate 287
. After intersecting with the ramps from Exit 58 of the interstate, Route S-91 continues westward through a large residential and commercial portion of Oakland. The route crosses over the nearby Ramapo River
and continues westward to a traffic light with Skyline Drive in Oakland. At this point, Route S-91 continues northward along Skyline Drive, crossing under the mainline of Interstate 287 and entering the nearby partial cloverleaf interchange. After the interchange, Skyline Drive continues northward and ascends through the nearby woodlands, passing by residences in spurts. The route begins to progress its way to the northwest, crossing into the nearby Ringwood State Park
. While traversing the park, Route S-91 and Skyline Drive cross the county line into Passaic County, where the route becomes County Route 692 for a short distance. After making a gradual curve to the northeast, Route 692 crosses back into Bergen County and becomes Route S-91 once again. Continuing a short distance through the state park and after crossing a dirt road, Skyline Drive crosses the county line once again.
After crossing back into Passaic County, Skyline Drive (and County Route 692) continue northward through Ringwood State Park before curving its way out of the northern reaches of the park. At this point, the highway enters the borough of Ringwood
, where the dense forestry changes back to residences. The route continues through Ringwood, crossing several local streets and turning to the northwest once again. Just before the intersection with Countryside Lane, Skyline Drive turns to the northeast and once again, enters the dense forestry. After crossing through a large residential complex, the highway continues curving its way northward, turning westward one final time at the intersection with Erskine Road. After the curve, Skyline Drive and County Route 692 continue the short stretch westward, terminating at County Route 511
(the Greenwood Lake Turnpike) in the community of Ringwood, near the shores of the Wanaque Reservoir.
, the alignment was changed to State Highway Route S-4-B, a spur of State Highway Route 4, a cross-state highway. However, this designation was changed once again after another state highway renumbering in 1953
, when it was re-designated as part of State Route 208. The alignment of Route 208 was planned to be upgraded into a limited access freeway through the Wanaque Reservoir and Greenwood Lake
northward to the New York
state line (to connect with the New York State Route 208
's new freeway). There was also to be an interchange with Skyline Drive and West Oakland Avenue near the current interchange with Interstate 287. The $66.3 million project was canceled in the 1970s due to costs and environmental concerns.
After being extended to West Oakland Avenue, Route 208 ended near Skyline Drive, where drivers could continue northward to Ringwood and Erskine. The alignment of Route 208 remained along Skyline Drive during the 1960s, and was truncated in 1993 with the completion of Interstate 287. Route 208 was truncated to its current terminus with Interstate 287 in Oakland. After a massive accident with a dump truck in December 2000, the New Jersey Department of Transportation
passed rules banning trucks from using Skyline Drive in April 2001, to 10-ton limits. The ban however, did not include buses.
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...
, between Interstate 287
Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
in Oakland
Oakland, New Jersey
Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,754.Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township.-History:The Van Allen House...
, Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
and County Route 511
County Route 511 (New Jersey)
County Route 511 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 37.44 miles from Columbia Avenue in Morris Township to the New York state line in West Milford....
in Ringwood
Ringwood, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 12,396 people, 4,108 households, and 3,446 families residing in the borough. The population density is 491.0 people per square mile . There are 4,221 housing units at an average density of 167.2 per square mile...
, Passaic County
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
, passing through Ringwood State Park
Ringwood State Park
Ringwood State Park is a 5000 acre state park in Passaic County in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The Park is located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains in Ringwood. It contains the New Jersey Botanical Garden at Skylands, historic Ringwood Manor and Skylands Manor, and the Shepherd Lake...
in the Ramapo Mountains
Ramapo Mountains
The Ramapo Mountains are a forested chain of the Appalachian mountains in northeastern New Jersey and southeastern New York in the United States...
. It is a major route for those in the Ringwood and Wanaque area to get to Interstate 287. The road is also known as County Route S91 in Bergen County and County Route 692 in Passaic County. County Route S91 continues south for 0.73 miles from the southern terminus of Skyline Drive on West Oakland Avenue to U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
.
The road offers a brief view of the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) away, while heading southbound. The steep and narrow road is often impassable in winter due to ice and snow. As of April 1, 2001, the New Jersey Department of Transportation
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...
imposed a ban on trucks exceeding 10 tons from using Skyline Drive. This ban follows an incident in December 2000, in which three Ringwood residents were killed by a 40-ton dump truck that had lost control on the roadway and fell to its side.
Route description
County Route S-91 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 202U.S. Route 202 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 202 is a U.S. Highway running from New Castle, Delaware northeast to Bangor, Maine. In the U.S. state of New Jersey, the route runs from the New Hope-Lambertville Toll Bridge over the Delaware River at the Pennsylvania border in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County near Lambertville...
(co-signed as Bergen County Route 91 due to county maintenance) in the community of Oakland
Oakland, New Jersey
Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,754.Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township.-History:The Van Allen House...
. The route heads westward as West Oakland Avenue, crossing over the tracks for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and paralleling to the south of Interstate 287
Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
. After intersecting with the ramps from Exit 58 of the interstate, Route S-91 continues westward through a large residential and commercial portion of Oakland. The route crosses over the nearby Ramapo River
Ramapo River
The Ramapo River is a tributary of the Pompton River, approximately 30 mi long, in southern New York and northern New Jersey in the United States.-Course:...
and continues westward to a traffic light with Skyline Drive in Oakland. At this point, Route S-91 continues northward along Skyline Drive, crossing under the mainline of Interstate 287 and entering the nearby partial cloverleaf interchange. After the interchange, Skyline Drive continues northward and ascends through the nearby woodlands, passing by residences in spurts. The route begins to progress its way to the northwest, crossing into the nearby Ringwood State Park
Ringwood State Park
Ringwood State Park is a 5000 acre state park in Passaic County in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The Park is located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains in Ringwood. It contains the New Jersey Botanical Garden at Skylands, historic Ringwood Manor and Skylands Manor, and the Shepherd Lake...
. While traversing the park, Route S-91 and Skyline Drive cross the county line into Passaic County, where the route becomes County Route 692 for a short distance. After making a gradual curve to the northeast, Route 692 crosses back into Bergen County and becomes Route S-91 once again. Continuing a short distance through the state park and after crossing a dirt road, Skyline Drive crosses the county line once again.
After crossing back into Passaic County, Skyline Drive (and County Route 692) continue northward through Ringwood State Park before curving its way out of the northern reaches of the park. At this point, the highway enters the borough of Ringwood
Ringwood, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 12,396 people, 4,108 households, and 3,446 families residing in the borough. The population density is 491.0 people per square mile . There are 4,221 housing units at an average density of 167.2 per square mile...
, where the dense forestry changes back to residences. The route continues through Ringwood, crossing several local streets and turning to the northwest once again. Just before the intersection with Countryside Lane, Skyline Drive turns to the northeast and once again, enters the dense forestry. After crossing through a large residential complex, the highway continues curving its way northward, turning westward one final time at the intersection with Erskine Road. After the curve, Skyline Drive and County Route 692 continue the short stretch westward, terminating at County Route 511
County Route 511 (New Jersey)
County Route 511 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 37.44 miles from Columbia Avenue in Morris Township to the New York state line in West Milford....
(the Greenwood Lake Turnpike) in the community of Ringwood, near the shores of the Wanaque Reservoir.
History
The alignment of Skyline Drive was first designated as a state highway in the 1920s, as an alignment of State Highway Route 3. During the 1927 highway renumbering1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering
In 1927, New Jersey's state highways were renumbered. The old system, which had been defined in sequence by the legislature, was growing badly, as several routes shared the same number, and many unnumbered state highways had been defined...
, the alignment was changed to State Highway Route S-4-B, a spur of State Highway Route 4, a cross-state highway. However, this designation was changed once again after another state highway renumbering in 1953
1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering
On January 1, 1953, the New Jersey Department of Transportation renumbered many of the State Routes. A few rules were followed in deciding what to renumber:...
, when it was re-designated as part of State Route 208. The alignment of Route 208 was planned to be upgraded into a limited access freeway through the Wanaque Reservoir and Greenwood Lake
Greenwood Lake
Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately seven miles long, straddling the border of New Jersey and New York. It is located in West Milford, New Jersey and Greenwood Lake, New York ....
northward to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line (to connect with the New York State Route 208
New York State Route 208
New York State Route 208 is a state highway located in southern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 17M in the Orange County village of Monroe...
's new freeway). There was also to be an interchange with Skyline Drive and West Oakland Avenue near the current interchange with Interstate 287. The $66.3 million project was canceled in the 1970s due to costs and environmental concerns.
After being extended to West Oakland Avenue, Route 208 ended near Skyline Drive, where drivers could continue northward to Ringwood and Erskine. The alignment of Route 208 remained along Skyline Drive during the 1960s, and was truncated in 1993 with the completion of Interstate 287. Route 208 was truncated to its current terminus with Interstate 287 in Oakland. After a massive accident with a dump truck in December 2000, the New Jersey Department of Transportation
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...
passed rules banning trucks from using Skyline Drive in April 2001, to 10-ton limits. The ban however, did not include buses.