New Jersey Route 88

New Jersey Route 88

Route 88 is a state highway in the northern part of Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. It runs 10.02 mi (16.13 km) from an intersection with U.S. Route 9 and County Route 547 in Lakewood Township to an intersection with Route 35 in Point Pleasant. It is a two-lane undivided road that passes through mostly residential and commercial areas. The route intersects County Route 549 in Lakewood, Route 70 in Brick Township at the former Laurelton Circle, and County Route 549 Spur in Point Pleasant. The road is mentioned in the lyrics of the 1973 song "Spirit in the Night" by Bruce Springsteen.

The route was built as a gravel county road in 1903 and became part of pre-1927 Route 4, a route that was to run from Absecon to Rahway, in 1916. U.S. Route 9 was designated along this stretch of road in 1926 when the U.S. Highway System was created. A year later, in 1927, this portion of pre-1927 Route 4 became a part of Route 35, a route that was to from Lakewood to South Amboy. By the 1940s, U.S. Route 9 was moved off this road to follow its current alignment between Lakewood and South Amboy. In 1953, Route 35 was realigned to follow a portion of Route 37 between Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights, and Route 88 was designated along the former alignment of Route 35 between Lakewood and Point Pleasant. The Laurelton Circle at Route 70, built in 1937, was replaced with the current intersection by the 1990s.