Editing New Jersey Route 495 (section)

==History==
{{infobox road small
|state=NJ
|type=I
|route=495
|location=[[Secaucus, New Jersey|Secaucus]]–[[Weehawken, New Jersey|Weehawken]]
|length_mi=3.45
|length_ref=<ref name="njsld"/>
|formed=1959
|deleted=1986
}}
The road was built as an approach to the [[Lincoln Tunnel]], with the first section opening December 22, 1937, when the first (now the center) tube of the tunnel was completed. This section ran only from the tunnel portal south through the [[Toll road|toll booths]] to a plaza with Park Avenue and Hudson County [[Boulevard East]]. Marginal Street, providing access from Hudson County Boulevard East west over Park Avenue to 32nd Street and the [[Bergen Turnpike]], was also opened at that time.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |title=Governors to Open New Tunnel Today |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 21, 1937 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/12/21/archives/governors-to-open-new-tunnel-today-lehman-and-hoffman-to-lead.html |page=3}}</ref> In 1939, the Port Authority opened the rest of the approach, up the helix and west to [[New Jersey Route 3|Route 3]], and it was designated as an eastern extension of Route 3.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news |title=Approach to Open for Lincoln Tube |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/06/30/archives/approach-to-open-for-lincoln-tube-new-jerseys-latest-highway-which.html |work=The New York Times |date=June 30, 1939 |page=6}}</ref> The final section of today's Route 495 opened on January 15, 1952, with the completion of the [[New Jersey Turnpike]]. The turnpike interchange (exit 16) only served Route 3 traffic to and from the south; exit 17 served Route 3 traffic to and from the north.<ref name="nyt3">{{cite news |last=Seigel |first=Kalman|author-link=Kalman Seigel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/01/16/archives/jersey-pike-opens-final-9mile-link-section-between-newark-and.html |title=Jersey Pike Opens Final 9-Mile Link |work=The New York Times |date=January 16, 1952 |page=27}}</ref><ref name="nyt4">{{cite news |last=Schwab Jr. |first=Armand |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/01/20/archives/city-linked-to-superhighway-new-york-motorists-have-choice-of-five.html |title=City Linked to Super-Highway |work=The New York Times |date=January 20, 1952 |page=X17}}</ref>

[[File:Lincolntunnel-1955.jpg|thumb|left|Lincoln Tunnel Helix and [[toll plaza]] (circa 1955), with the south tube under construction]]With the creation of the [[Interstate Highway System]] in 1956, the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel was planned to become an Interstate Highway along with present-day Route 3, which itself was not included in the Interstate Highway System because New Jersey thought it would be too expensive to bring it up to [[Interstate Highway standards]].<ref name="yellowbook">{{cite map |author=Bureau of Public Roads |author-link=Bureau of Public Roads |date=September 1955 |map=New York and Environs |map-url = https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York,_New_York_1955_Yellow_Book.jpg |title=General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas Designated in September 1955 |scale=Scale not given |location=Washington, DC |publisher=[[Government Printing Office]] |page=59 |oclc=4165975 |access-date=December 22, 2009 |via=[[Wikimedia Commons]]}}</ref><ref name=njshd>{{cite book |author=New Jersey State Highway Department |title=FAI 105 Interstate Highway Corridor: Recommendation Report |location=Trenton |publisher=[[New Jersey State Highway Department]] |year=1957}}</ref> However, the Lincoln Tunnel approach was included in the Interstate Highway System and in 1959, it was renumbered from Route 3 to I-495 despite the fact it does not meet Interstate Highway standards.<ref name="sld 2006"/><ref name="nyt1958">{{cite news |last=Wright |first=George Cable |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/09/19/archives/new-roads-with-new-numbers-will-parallel-old-us-routes.html |title=New Roads with New Numbers Will Parallel Old U.S. Routes |work=The New York Times |date=September 19, 1958 |page=29}}</ref> Shortly after the road became I-495, the western portion of the road was brought up to Interstate Highway standards with the improvements of the interchanges with the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 3.<ref name=tstc>{{cite book |author=Tri-State Transportation Commission |title=Regional Highways: Status Report |publisher=Tri-State Transportation Commission |year=1962}}</ref> I-495 was intended to connect with New York's [[Interstate 495 (New York)|I-495]] by way of the [[Mid-Manhattan Expressway]]; however, this proposed [[controlled-access highway|freeway]] through Manhattan was canceled in 1971 due to strong opposition to the road running through the heart of [[Midtown Manhattan]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Clines |first=Francis X. |title=Lower Manhattan Road Killed Under State Plan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/25/archives/lower-manhattan-road-killed-under-state-plan.html|work=The New York Times |date=March 25, 1971 |page=78}}</ref> Because New Jersey's I-495 would not be connected to New York's, NJDOT started referring to the route as Route 495 in 1979.<ref name="sld 2006">{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000495__-.pdf |title=Route 495 Straight Line Diagram |location=Trenton |publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation |year=2006 |access-date=April 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321122259/http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000495__-.pdf |archive-date=March 21, 2006}}</ref> The [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO) approved the decommissioning of I-495 between I-95 and Pleasant Avenue/Park Avenue in Union City in 1980.<ref>{{AASHTO minutes |year=1980S |page=517 |access-date=October 16, 2014 }}</ref> In 1986, AASHTO approved the decommissioning of the rest of the I-495 designation in New Jersey.<ref>{{AASHTO minutes |year=1986S |page=561 |access-date=October 16, 2014 }}</ref>

[[File:2021-06-06 11 19 03 View east along New Jersey State Route 495 (Lincoln Tunnel Approach) from the overpass for Bergenline Avenue in Union City, Hudson County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|Route 495 eastbound in Union City, with the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance]]
Starting with the [[viaduct]], which passes over the [[Conrail]] rail lines just west of US 1/9, the roadway going east is listed as being eligible for state registry in the [[New Jersey Register of Historic Places]] for its engineering, architecture and history. The designations for eligibility were given in segments between 1991 and 2003 and include the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix, as well as the tunnels, toll booths, and ventilation towers.<ref name="register">{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/hudson.pdf |title=New Jersey Register of Historic Places in Hudson County |year=2010 |publisher=New Jersey Register of Historic Places |pages=12 and 15 |access-date=February 8, 2010 |location=Trenton |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705114811/http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/hudson.pdf |archive-date=July 5, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The Helix has traditionally been known for offering a panoramic view of the [[Skyline of New York City|Manhattan skyline]]. While local zoning laws prohibit the construction of high-rise buildings that would obstruct sight-lines from higher points in town,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/nyregion/weehawken-journal-group-fights-to-keep-magical-skyline-view.html&pagewanted=2 |work=The New York Times |title=Weehawken Journal: Group Fights to Keep 'Magical' Skyline View |date=December 30, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/20/nyregion/weehawken-s-panoramic-skyline-view-wins-protection.html |work=The New York Times |first=Robert D. |last=McFadden |title=Weehawken's Panoramic Skyline View Wins Protection |date=March 20, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/13/nyregion/the-cities-the-blurred-view-from-weehawken.html&pagewanted=2 |work=The New York Times |first=Steve |last=Strunsky |title=THE CITIES; The Blurred View From Weehawken |date=August 13, 2000}}</ref> {{as of|June 2013|lc=yes}} construction of a new residential building partially blocked the view from the lower portion of the roadway.<ref name="view">{{cite web |last=Frassinelli |first=Mike |title=Construction Alters View of Manhattan Skyline for 'Helix' Commuters |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |location=Newark, NJ |date=June 24, 2013 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/view_of_manhattan_skyline_altered_for_some_commuters.html#incart_river_default |access-date=July 14, 2013}}</ref> {{As of|2015}}, the Helix is considered by the PANYNJ to have a working life-span of ten years. Alternatives to its replacement include tunnels under the Palisades directly to the Lincoln Tunnel portals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/tunnels_through_the_palisades_could_replace_lincoln_tunnel_helix.html |title=Tunnels through the Palisades Could Replace Lincoln Tunnel Helix |work=NJ.com |date=September 26, 2015 |access-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |title=Lincoln Tunnel Helix Replacement Program Phase II Planning |publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |date=September 24, 2015 |url=http://www.panynj.gov/corporate-information/pdf/9-24-15-cpeam-lt-helix-public.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928124205/http://www.panynj.gov/corporate-information/pdf/9-24-15-cpeam-lt-helix-public.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-28 |url-status=live |access-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref>

In June 2018, the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced that it would renovate the North Bergen Viaduct (the section passing over US 1/9 and Conrail) over the course of more than two years. During that time, one travel lane in each direction would be closed, reducing the number of travel lanes in each direction from 4 to 3.<ref name=NYTimes-SequelSummerHell-2018/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/roads/rt495/ |title=Route 495, Route 1&9/Paterson Plank Road Bridge Overview |author=New Jersey Department of Transportation |author-link=New Jersey Department of Transportation |date=August 25, 2017}}</ref>