South end: CR 510 in Livingston Length 6.63 km | North end: I-280 in Roseland | |
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Eisenhower Parkway, also known as County Route 609, is a highway in Essex County, New Jersey, located in the municipalities of Roseland and Livingston. Eisenhower Parkway dead ends at South Orange Avenue (County Route 510) in Livingston near the Livingston Mall and just north of Interstate 280 in Roseland. The Eisenhower Parkway was planned to continue further north to Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell and further south to Route 24 in Chatham, with the latter extension to be called Triborough Road. An abandoned cloverleaf interchange exists where Triborough Road was to intersect Route 24.
Contents
Map of Eisenhower Pkwy, New Jersey, USA
Route description
The Eisenhower Parkway begins at an intersection with CR 510 in Livingston, Essex County, heading north as a four-lane divided highway. The road passes the Livingston Mall before becoming undivided and passing to the east of the Commonwealth Water Company Reservoir Number Three. Upon turning northeast, the roadway becomes divided again as it crosses CR 607 and passes through forests. The Eisenhower Parkway intersects Route 10 at the modified Livingston Circle, at which point the road passes businesses as CR 661 branches to the east of the road. The highway heads north-northeast through more forested areas with occasional commercial development, meeting CR 661 again prior to crossing into Roseland. Here, the road crosses the Morristown and Erie Railway and passes businesses, crossing CR 611 prior to coming to a cloverleaf interchange with I-280. At this interchange, the CR 609 designation ends and the Eisenhower Parkway continues northeast to a dead end a short distance later.
History
The original plan of the Parkway was to extend to Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell on the northern end and to Route 24 in Chatham on the southern end. There is a complete cloverleaf interchange at Route 24, which would have been Interchange 5 on 24 (and there were once blank signs erected on 24 West). The bridges over Route 24, which would have been part of Eisenhower Parkway, are currently open to all-terrain vehicles. Had it been extended to the south, it was going to be called Triborough Road (at least in Chatham and Florham Park). Signage on the interchange bridge bears the name "Triborough Road".
The way to the bridge from Chatham Borough is behind the wooded areas near Weston Avenue, Rowan Road, and Jackson Avenue. The route to the bridge starts by getting behind the bridge over the river on Jackson Avenue, or simply just crossing the river. This can in fact be done without getting wet by jumping across rocks, although the gate to the bridge's lock has since been broken. The trail continues to a rocky downward slope which is climbed in order to reach the bridge.
Major intersections
The entire route is in Essex County.