New Jersey Route 147

Route 147 marker

Route 147
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length: 4.20 mi[1] (6.76 km)
Existed: 1971 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 9 in Middle Township
  G.S. Parkway in Middle Township
CR 619 / Ocean Drive in Middle Township
East end: CR 621 / Ocean Drive at New York Avenue in North Wildwood
Highway system
← Route 143Route 151 →

Route 147 is a 4.20-mile (6.76 km) state highway located in Cape May County in New Jersey, United States. It is a short connector between U.S. Route 9 in Middle Township and North Wildwood at New York Avenue. West of U.S. Route 9, the road continues to Route 47 as County Route 618 (Indian Trail Road); this route along with Route 147 provides an alternate route to The Wildwoods from Route 47. East of New York Avenue, the route continues south through The Wildwoods as County Route 621 (New Jersey Avenue). The route passes through mostly marshland along its journey, intersecting the Garden State Parkway at a partial interchange and County Route 619 (Ocean Drive). The portion of the route east of the intersection with the latter forms a part of Ocean Drive. When the 500-series county routes were established in New Jersey in the 1950s, what is now Route 147 became a part of County Route 585, a route running from Lower Township north to Absecon. Route 147 was designated along County Route 585 between U.S. Route 9 and the North Wildwood border. The route was extended to its current location in North Wildwood by the 1990s.

Route description

Route 147 heading westbound through the wetlands
Route 147 westbound through the wetlands near North Wildwood

Route 147 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 9 in the Burleigh section of Middle Township, heading to the east of North Wildwood Boulevard, a two-lane undivided road.[1] The road continues to the west of U.S. Route 9 as County Route 618 (Indian Trail Road) to Route 47.[1][2] The road passes residences and businesses to the north and woodland to the south before coming to a partial cloverleaf interchange with the Garden State Parkway that has access to and from the northbound direction of the parkway.[2]

Past the Garden State Parkway, Route 147 becomes a four-lane divided highway that briefly passes more homes and commercial establishments before entering a delta-type series of marshy rivers and inlets. It turns to the southeast and comes to an intersection with County Route 665 before crossing the Grassy Sound on a bridge.[1][2] After the bridge, the route comes to an intersection with the southern terminus of County Route 619 (Ocean Drive).[1]

NJ 147 circle shields at an intersection
NJ 147 signage from CR 619

At this point, the Ocean Drive moniker merges onto Route 147 and the road crosses over the Beach Creek into the beach resort of North Wildwood. Here, the route turns south and becomes Spruce Avenue, which heads between marshland to the west and resort homes to the east. At the intersection with West Angelsea Drive, Route 147 becomes a four-lane undivided road that continues past more developments, turning to the southeast. Route 147 heads through a mix or residential and commercial establishments before ending at the intersection with New York Avenue.[1][2] From here, County Route 621 continues south along the roadway as New Jersey Avenue.[1] Route 147, along with County Route 618, provide an alternate route to The Wildwoods from Route 47.[3]

History

What is now Route 147 was an unimproved road back in 1927.[4] When the 500-series county routes were established in the 1950s, this road became a part of County Route 585, a route that ran from Route 109 (then a part of U.S. Route 9) in Lower Township north to U.S. Route 30 and Route 157 in Absecon. The route was also designated as part of County Route 18, which continued west past U.S. Route 9 to Route 47.[5] In 1971, Route 147 was designated to replace the portion of County Route 18/County Route 585 between U.S. Route 9 in Burleigh and the North Wildwood border.[6] As a result of a bridge replacement over the Grassy Sound, Route 147 was realigned off its former drawbridge, and the former alignment became Cape May County Route 665.[7] The southern terminus of County Route 585 was eventually truncated its current location at Route 52 in Somers Point. By the 1990s, Route 147 was extended to its current terminus at New York Avenue in North Wildwood.[8]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Cape May County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Middle Township0.000.00 US 9 – Whitesboro, Cape May Court HouseWestern terminus
0.330.53 G.S. Parkway north to A.C. ExpresswayGSP exit 6
2.864.60 CR 619 / Ocean Drive north – Stone Harbor
North Wildwood4.206.76 CR 621 / Ocean Drive south (New Jersey Avenue)Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Route 147 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Google (2009-08-13). "overview of New Jersey Route 147" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  3. ↑ Signage for CR 618/NJ 147 alternate route to Wildwoods on NJ 47 southbound (Highway sign). Middle Township, New Jersey: New Jersey Department of Transportation.
  4. ↑ Map of New Jersey (Map). Tydol Trails. 1927. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  5. ↑ Map of Cape May County New Jersey (Map). Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders. 1955. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  6. ↑ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1971, Chapter 23, Section 1.
  7. ↑ "Route 147 Straight Line Diagram" (PDF). Ewing, New Jersey: New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2007. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  8. ↑ United States-Canada-Mexico Road Atlas (Map). Rand McNally. 1996.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Jersey Route 147.

Route map: Bing