New Jersey Route 49

New Jersey Route 49

Route 49 is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs 53.80 mi (86.58 km) from an interchange with the Delaware Memorial Bridge extension of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40) in Deepwater, Salem County, where it continues north as U.S. Route 130 southeast to Route 50 and County Route 557 in Tuckahoe, Cape May County. The route serves Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May Counties, passing through rural areas and the communities of Salem, Bridgeton, and Millville along the way. It is a two-lane, undivided road for most of its length.

Route 49 was established in 1927 to run from Salem to Clermont, running along its present alignment between Salem and Millville, following current Route 47 between Millville and South Dennis, and running along present-day Route 83 between South Dennis and Clermont. It replaced a branch of pre-1927 Route 6 between Salem and Bridgeton and a part of pre-1927 Route 15 between Bridgeton and South Dennis. In 1953, Route 49 was routed onto its current alignment, replacing a part of Route 44 between Salem and Deepwater and following the former alignment of Route 47 between Millville and Tuckahoe. In the 1960s, a freeway was planned for Route 49 between Deepwater and Millville; it was never built. In the 2000s, many improvements have been or are being made to bridges along Route 49.