Editing New Jersey Route 495 (section)

==Route description==
[[File:2020-08-15 17 39 39 View east along New Jersey State Route 495 (Lincoln Tunnel Approach) at the exit for New Jersey State Route 3 (Secaucus) in Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|The beginning of eastbound Route 495 at the [[New Jersey Turnpike]]]]
Route 495 officially begins at the exit 16E off-ramp from the northbound lanes of the [[New Jersey Turnpike]] near the boundary of [[Secaucus, New Jersey|Secaucus]] and [[North Bergen, New Jersey|North Bergen]]. The main roadway heads east through North Bergen as a six-lane [[controlled-access highway|freeway]] maintained by the [[New Jersey Turnpike Authority|NJTA]].<ref name="njsld" /><ref name="gm">{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=new+jersey+turnpike+north+bergen+nj&daddr=lincoln+tunnel+new+york+ny&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=40.798997,-74.023819&sspn=0.057827,0.109863&ie=UTF8&ll=40.772742,-74.030428&spn=0.028925,0.054932&t=h&z=14 |title = Overview of New Jersey Route 495 |access-date = February 11, 2009}}</ref> The route has an interchange with [[New Jersey Route 3|Route 3]], with access to eastbound Route 3 and [[U.S. Route 1/9]] (US&nbsp;1/9) for traffic in the eastbound direction and to westbound Route 3 in the westbound direction, a major intersection for Route 495 and Route 3, as many people use Route 3 to get to Route 495 for the Lincoln Tunnel. Route 3 ends almost immediately after its interchange with Route 495, at US 1/9. The three routes form a triangular-like junction, however, Route 495 doesn’t have direct access to US 1/9; instead drivers must take the Route 3 exit to get there. Past this interchange, Route 495 becomes a six-lane freeway maintained by [[New Jersey Department of Transportation|NJDOT]] that passes over [[New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway]]'s New Jersey Subdivision line and [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations]]' [[Northern Branch]] line before intersects US&nbsp;1/9 at a partial interchange, with a westbound exit and eastbound entrance. Past US&nbsp;1/9, the freeway has an interchange with [[County Route 501 (New Jersey)|County Route 501]] (CR&nbsp;501, John F. Kennedy Boulevard), which uses 30th Street and 31st Street as [[collector–distributor roads]].<ref name="njsld" /> East of this junction, Route 495 enters [[Union City, New Jersey|Union City]] and heads through developed residential areas, passing under numerous streets.<ref name="njsld" /><ref name=gm/> It enters Weehawken and comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance for Park Avenue, which provides access to [[Weehawken, New Jersey|Weehawken]] and [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], where Route 495 becomes maintained by the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|PANYNJ]].<ref name="njsld" />

[[File:Lincoln Helix Harbor Blvd jeh.jpg|thumb|The Helix, from east]]
At this point, the highway loops around itself at a section of the highway locally known as ''[[Lincoln Tunnel Helix|The Helix]]'', descending the [[New Jersey Palisades]] on a 360 degree looped [[spiral bridge]] to reach the entrance to the [[Lincoln Tunnel]] under the [[Hudson River]]. At the start of the Helix, Route 495 passes Weehawken stadium to the north and east, and would later go under it at the start of the Lincoln Tunnel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LivingOof |date=2020-04-05 |title=Supposed I haven't seen this one yet, but here's Weehawken Stadium in Weehawken, NJ. 299ft to left, about 405 to the Left-Center wall, only 286 to the right pole, and it's built on top of the Lincoln Tunnel |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/fvnh9h/supposed_i_havent_seen_this_one_yet_but_heres/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=r/baseball}}</ref> The route has a westbound exit and eastbound entrance for and from [[Boulevard East|CR&nbsp;677]] (John F. Kennedy/Hudson Boulevard East). After interchanging with Boulevard East, the road enters the Lincoln Tunnel. At the [[New York (state)|New York]] state line, which is located at the midpoint of the Hudson River, the road continues as [[New York State Route 495|NY 495]], which is separate from [[Interstate 495 (New York)|I-495]], and heads into [[Midtown Manhattan]] in [[New York City]].<ref name="njsld" /><ref name=gm/>

[[File:2020-08-15 18 02 33 View east along New Jersey State Route 495 (Lincoln Tunnel Approach) at the exit for Weehawken-Hoboken in Union City, Hudson County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|View east along Route 495 at Hudson Avenue in Union City]]
Since 1970, the left lane of the three westbound lanes is converted during the morning rush hour to a [[Reversible lane|reversible]] bus lane, known as the "Exclusive Bus Lane" (XBL). The Port Authority is responsible for daily operation of the XBL, including its opening and closing, removal of disabled vehicles, and response to emergencies.<ref name="PANYNJ1">{{cite web |title=The Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane |department=Lincoln Tunnel |publisher=[[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]] |date=December 28, 2012 |url=http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/lincoln-tunnel-xbl.html |access-date=May 14, 2013}}</ref> It is used by buses headed east from the [[New Jersey Turnpike]] and Route&nbsp;3, mainly to the [[Port Authority Bus Terminal]] just past the Lincoln Tunnel in Manhattan, serving over 1,800 buses and 65,000 bus commuters on regular weekday mornings, (6-10&nbsp;a.m.).<ref>{{cite book |author=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |author-link=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |title=Lincoln Tunnel HOT Lane Feasibility Study |publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |year=2009 |page=2 |url=http://www.panynj.gov/about/pdf/Lincoln-Tunnel-HOT-Lane-Feasibility-Study.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115221129/http://www.panynj.gov/about/pdf/Lincoln-Tunnel-HOT-Lane-Feasibility-Study.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-15 |url-status=live |access-date=April 4, 2012}}</ref> This [[bus lane]] is the busiest in the United States.<ref name="panynj">{{cite book |author=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |url=http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/tunnels/pdfs/01_09_XBL-II_nwslttr_285fri.pdf |title=Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane Enhancement Study |publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |access-date=February 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627153521/http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/tunnels/pdfs/01_09_XBL-II_nwslttr_285fri.pdf |archive-date=June 27, 2008}}</ref>

Each of the travel lanes in the Lincoln Tunnel's center tube is reversible. In general, both of the lanes, including the exclusive bus lane, serve Manhattan-bound traffic during the weekday morning rush hour, both of the lanes serve New Jersey-bound traffic during the weekday evening rush hour, and one lane is provided in each direction during other time periods. New Jersey-bound traffic normally uses both lanes of the north tube and Manhattan-bound traffic normally uses both lanes of the south tube.<ref>{{cite book |last = Berlow |first = L. |title = Reference Guide to Famous Engineering Landmarks of the World: Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Roads and Other Structures |publisher = Taylor & Francis |year = 2015 |isbn = 978-1-135-93261-9 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Jox4CAAAQBAJ&pg=PT168 |access-date = April 12, 2018 |page = 168 |via = [[Google Books]] }}</ref>

Route 495 is a busy route that carries approximately 74,571 vehicles at its western terminus and approximately 119,432 vehicles by the time it reaches the Lincoln Tunnel.<ref name="njsld" /> According to the American Highway Users Alliance, Route 495 is considered one of the most congested corridors on the East Coast of the United States; {{As of|2018|lc=yes}}, drivers spent a cumulative 3.4 million hours per year sitting in congestion on Route 495.<ref name=NYTimes-SequelSummerHell-2018>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/nyregion/nj-turnpike-repairs-lincoln-tunnel.html|title=For New Jersey Commuters, a Sequel to the 'Summer of Hell'|date=June 5, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 5, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>