Route 4 (New Jersey)
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Image:Circle sign 4.svg Route 4 is a state highway in Bergen County and Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, that is also known as the Mackay Highway. The highway stretches 10.83 miles from East 43rd Street/NJ20, McLean Boulevard in Paterson, New Jersey to the U.S. Route 9W at the George Washington Bridge approach in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Today's stretch of NJ 4 was completed by 1934, not long after the opening of the George Washington Bridge in 1931. With the opening of the Bridge and of Route 4, much of Bergen County became accessible to those who wished to escape to the suburbs, but wanted to retain easy access to New York City. From 1920 to 1940, despite the slowdowns resulting from the Great Depression, Bergen County's population nearly doubled, growing from 210,643 to 409,646 residents in that twenty-year period.
Originally, NJ 4 was projected to go all the way to Cape May, New Jersey. Parts of Route 35 and U.S. Route 9 south of Woodbridge Township bore the NJ 4 designation prior to 1953. The Garden State Parkway was originally designed to bypass this stretch of NJ 4, and a stretch built prior to 1953 between Union and Woodbridge Township appeared on maps as "4 PKY". To this day, the New Jersey Department of Transportation's internal reference number for the Parkway is NJ 444, commemorating the proposal.
The Route
Route 4 starts in Paterson at the intersection of Broadway and East 43rd Street. Route 4 becomes a divided highway at McLean Boulevard and still runs concurrent to Broadway crossing out of Paterson and Passiac County and into Elmwood Park and Bergen County.
Broadway continues east with businesses lining both sides of the roadway, and runs concurrently with Route 4 through Fair Lawn, ending at the interchange of Route 208. Route 4 still continues on the same path east. While not a freeway yet, the access to the road becomes limited, but businesses still line the road. Route 4 then enters Paramus and its huge shopping district. There it has an interchange with Route 17. As the road leaves Paramus it becomes a freeway and businesses no longer line the route. Route 4 then enters River Edge, Hackensack, Teaneck and Englewood. In Teaneck, Eastbound Route 4 goes from three lanes down to two at the Belle Avenue exit, widening back to three lnaes when the highway approaches Englewood. This constriction causes frequent backups during morning rush hours and many other points throughout the day. Route 4 then ends at U.S. Route 9W a huge interchange at the George Washington Bridge approach.