POP QUIZ: There are 10 interstate highways in NJ – can you name them all?
Cruising down the highway at 65 mph. Windows rolled down. Radio blasting. (Listening to our station, of course!) Nothing better.
Or stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Stop and go. Exhaust. Tolls. Idiot drivers. Radio still blasting. (Listening to our traffic reports, hopefully!) Not much worse than that.
Love them or hate them, highways and byways are a big part of New Jersey's identity. We are a state of transport, commerce, and commuting. NJ contains about 39,000 miles of public roadways. Of that sum, 431 miles are officially designed and signed as part of the Interstate Highway System.
Formally known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, construction of interstate highways in the United States began in the 1950s. Almost 70 years later, it is a critical piece of the nation's transportation infrastructure.
Here at the radio station, during commercial breaks, we love to quiz each other about nuggets of New Jersey knowledge. And I have to credit Bob Williams, New Jersey Traffic North, for busting out this trivia question a few years ago. (Obviously, the members of our traffic team are the ultimate experts on all the highways in NJ, as they talk about them on the radio, every 15 minutes around the clock.)
So here you go. There are a total of 10 interstate highways that run through New Jersey. Can you list them all?
Before I divulge the answers, let me provide a few hints:
--Four of NJ's interstates have two-digit numbers. The other six have three digits.
--Three highways in the state that are NOT official interstates, but can be confused as such: Route 495 to the Lincoln Tunnel, the Garden State Parkway (technically Route 444), and the Atlantic City Expressway (Route 446).
--Some of these interstate routes are tiny. The shortest in the state runs for just two miles within New Jersey.
ANSWER KEY: New Jersey's 10 interstate highways
Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Not only did he get a perfect score on this quiz, but has proudly driven on all 10 interstates in the state. He loves New Jersey trivia, and the weather too - follow on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news and updates.