U.S. Route 322 in New Jersey

U.S. Route 322 In New Jersey

New Jersey State Highway Routes
Interstate and US

U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a U.S. highway running from Cleveland, Ohio east to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The easternmost segment of the route in New Jersey runs 62.81 miles (101.08 km) from the Commodore Barry Bridge over the Delaware River in Logan Township, Glocuester County, where it continues into Chester, Pennsylvania, southeast to Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, Atlantic County. The portion of the route between the Commodore Barry Bridge and Route 42 is mostly a two-lane undivided road that is concurrently signed with County Route 536, passing through Mullica Hill and Glassboro. From Williamstown, US 322 follows the Black Horse Pike, a four-lane road, southeast to Atlantic City. In Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, US 322 forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 40, continuing with that route all the way to Atlantic City. US 322 intersects several major roads including U.S. Route 130 and Interstate 295 in Logan Township, the New Jersey Turnpike in Woolwich Township, Route 55 in Harrison Township, Route 42 in Williamstown, Route 50 and U.S. Route 40 in Hamilton Township, the Garden State Parkway in Egg Harbor Township, and U.S. Route 9 in Pleasantville.

East of Williamstown, US 322 follows the Black Horse Pike, a turnpike between Camden and Atlantic City that was created in 1855. Pre-1927 Route 18S was designated along the portion of the current route east of McKee City in 1923, with the US 40 designation along this portion following in 1926. In 1927, Route 18S became Route 48 and Route 42 was designated along the road between Williamstown and McKee City. US 322 was extended to New Jersey in 1936, running from a ferry dock on the Delaware River in Bridgeport east to Williamstown, where it followed Route 42 and U.S. Route 40/Route 48 to Atlantic City. In 1938, Route 55 was legislated along US 40/US 322 in Atlantic City while in 1939, US 322 between the ferry dock and Route 44 (now US 130) became Route S44 and the route between there and Route 42 became Route 51. In 1953, the state highway designations were removed from US 322. After the Commodore Barry Bridge opened in 1974, the old approach to the ferry dock became Route 324. In 1960, a freeway was proposed for US 322 in Gloucester County, running from the site of the Commodore Barry Bridge to Williamstown. This $59.6 million proposal was canceled by the 1970s due to diversion of funds to mass transit. Subsequent proposals for freeways in 1983 and 1995 also failed. A bypass of Mullica Hill was completed in 2012 for US 322 in order to relieve traffic through that town.