End of US highway 9W

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Photo credits: David Greenberger; Chris Jordan; Dan Moraseski; Jeff Morrison; J.P. Nasiatka

US 9 was among the original 1926 routes. Back then, it split into two routes at Glens Falls, each running southward along opposite banks of the Hudson River (but it was confusing, because originally New York City didn't sign any routes, so the eastern branch didn't reconnect with the western branch). "US 9E" followed what is now US 4 between Glens Falls and East Greenbush (across the river from Albany), and then today's US 9 through Yonkers. But at the NYC boundary, the route ended. Meanwhile, "US 9W" followed modern US 9 down to Albany, and then south (as today) to Sparkill. There traffic was routed onto what is now hwy. 340. At the stateline (where that road becomes C.R. 501 today), NJ signed the highway as "US 9". That followed 501 through Englewood and joined with modern US 9 at Ridgefield. So the original southern endpoint of US 9W was simply a result of signage differences between two states; you can view photos on Dan Moraseski's page here.

In 1928, today's US 9W between Ridgefield and Sparkill was completed, so traffic was moved onto that road, and then the south end of US 9W was at the stateline between Palisades and Alpine (the road was still signed as "US 9" in New Jersey).

Around 1931, New Jersey directed US 9 traffic into NYC via the Holland Tunnel; the former US 9 north of Tonnele Circle in Jersey City was changed to US 9W, matching up with the US 9W already in upstate New York. A photo of the former southern endpoint at Tonnele Circle can be viewed on this page.

It wasn't until 1934 that NYC finally began to sign US routes through the city limits. Traffic was directed into NJ via the George Washington Bridge, so the US 9W designation was truncated to Fort Lee, where the terminus has remained ever since. The photos below are from that area; this first one is looking south on Fletcher Avenue:

Moraseski

US 9W ends here at Kelby Street, which is where it has an interchange with I-95/US 1/US 9/US 46. The photo below shows the street signs at the south end of US 9W:

Moraseski

The shot below is looking north on Fletcher:

Moraseski

The light ahead is Kelby - and the south beginning of US 9W. (These photos - along with several others - can be viewed on Dan's pages here and here.) Below are several more photos that show various beginnings of US 9W from different approaches. It might be helpful to view this map of the complicated interchange at the south end of US 9W. This first one is on US 1/9 north/46 east:

Greenberger, Aug. 2001

Ahead is the offramp from US 1/9 north/46 east (which has merged with the offramps from 4 east and I-95 north) to US 9W/Fort Lee:

Greenberger, Aug. 2001

(In the photo above, the street sign in the distance is for Fletcher, a close-up of which you've already seen.) Below we're on I-95 south/US 1/9 south/46 west on the GWB:

Greenberger, Aug. 2001

The sign at left above is shown close-up below:

Greenberger, Aug. 2001

Below is the signage after taking exit 73:

Greenberger, Aug. 2001

In 1930, the US 4 designation was extended south from Glens Falls, along old US 9E to East Greenbush. Old US 9W south from Glens Falls became simply US 9 (as it is today) to Albany. There, the US 9 designation crossed the Hudson with US 20 to East Greenbush, and then followed old US 9E south to New York City. US 9W continued to exist south of Albany. There, the north end of US 9W (Lark Street) is at US 9 (Clinton Avenue). The photo below is looking northeast on Lark:

Jordan, June 2001

Northbound US 9 is to the left on Clinton; southbound is to the right. Unfortunately, from both directions on Clinton, there is no signage directing 9W traffic west onto Lark:

Nasiatka, Sep. 2003

There we're looking south on US 9; US 9W begins to the right, where the car is pulling out. If you're alert enough to turn there, you'll see the first southbound US 9W reassurance marker after about four blocks:

Morrison, Aug. 2002

That was shot near Elk Street.

Obviously the highways around New York City have changed a lot, but apparently the US 9W designation has never extended south of Jersey City. In the early 1930's, there was a plan to route US 9 traffic all the way through Manhattan on Broadway. From there drivers would've used the ferry to Staten Island, and then continued south on US 9's current alignment after entering New Jersey at Perth Amboy. But Dan Moraseski tells me this plan was never implemented. More detailed info can be found on his web page, as well as this one by Steve Anderson.