Traffic in order to arrive at Cape Liberty and Parking at the Port

[rkacruiser]

I am considering a Celebrity Summit cruise from Cape Liberty for this Summer.

 

I am concerned about the traffic confusion that exists in order to get to the Port.

 

How "clear-cut" is it as to directions when one is arriving from the South, probably on the New Jersey Turnpike?

 

Is the signage from major roads to the entrance to the Port clear and easily visible?

 

And, once at the Port, what about Parking?

 

There were reports some time ago of cars parked near the Port being damaged by paint spray from some project taking place near the parking area.

 

All very recent experiences and comments are truly appreciated as I evaluate my travel plans. Thank you!

[njhorseman]

First, don't worry about the spray painting issue. They solved the problem some time ago and we haven't heard any complaints in a long time.

 

The road signage in the area of the port isn't the best, but it's actually not very tricky to get there. You want to take the NJ Turnpike to exit 14A, which will mean exiting the main turnpike roadway at exit 14 and then taking the Newark Bay-Hudson County extension to exit 14A. That is clearly marked. At that point, follow these directions, from one of our regular posters, 138east. They're the best directions I've found:

 

At exit 14A please follow these directions. Others have followed them successfully. The signage is poor. There are lots of choices and you have to make a quick decision as to where you are going. For a first timer there's not time to stop and try to spot the correct little sign and I'm not sure the names of all the streets are clearly marked. After you pay your toll you go straight across the toll plaza and get on a 2 lane ramp that goes up and curves left. This is hard to miss. On the ramp you stay on the right and make the first right, stay to the right and make another right. You will come to the light at route 440 where you will make a left, stay left, and make a left at the first light onto Goldsborough Drive. Route 440 is a four lane divided highway. You can only turn left at a traffic light - going south the first light is now at Goldsborough Drive. The left turn into the port used to be at Port Terminal Blvd (and it still is coming the other way), but they shut down that turn fairly recently and made Goldsborough Drive the main port access road coming from the north. Goldsborough Drive will merge with Port Terminal Blvd. You will be able to see the ship and you just follow the crowd about 2 miles out to the ship.

[greatam]

First, don't worry about the spray painting issue. They solved the problem some time ago and we haven't heard any complaints in a long time.

 

 

[/b]

 

Good directions BUT the OP is coming from the South. Send him over the Outerbridge onto 440, across the Bayonne Bridge and make a RIGHT into the port. NO LONG WAIT as a general rule to get into the port coming from the South.

 

OP

 

95 North to Exit 10 (Outer Bridge Crossing) to Rt 440 East (it actually runs NE). When 440 gets close to 278, it runs parallel with 278 East for just a short distance (Exit 5 to Exit 10W). Exit 10W is the continuation of 440 NORTH over the Bayonne Bridge. Going NORTH on 440 allows you to make a RIGHT turn into the port and keeps you away from the MASS of traffic coming off Exit 14A which can be a very long line.

 

My own truck drivers will go down to a couple of warehouses SOUTH of the port if they have to go in there for pickups, make a flipper and come back NORTH on 440 so they can make that right turn and NOT be stuck in a line even during the week when the lines are NOT as long as they are on cruise days.

 

JMHO

[greatam]

My drivers just informed me that you get off 278 Eastbound to get on Northbound 440 to the Bayonne Bridge is Exit EIGHT, NOT 10W. It is well marked with a big sign that says Bayonne Bridge.

[njhorseman]

Greatam:

 

Going via one of the bridges (Outerbridge Crossing or Goethals Bridge) from NJ into Staten Island and then the Bayonne Bridge back into NJ is more expensive than just going north on the NJ Turnpike to Exit 14A.

 

I come from south of Cape Liberty and never go the way you're suggesting. It may seem to make sense to your truck drivers to do it in order to avoid that left turn from 440 into the port because truck drivers just hate sitting at a traffic light, but IMO it makes little or no sense for the driver of an automobile. I've never had to wait very long to make the left turn, and I can't see spending more money to save almost no time.

 

You might want to do a cost/benefit analysis to determine how much additional money your drivers are spending on the additional tolls versus the cost of additional fuel due to sitting at a traffic light to make a left turn. It might change your mind (or it might not).

Edited April 1, 2014 by njhorseman

[138east]

The OP lives in Ohio, so I think they need to clarify exactly how they're approaching Cape Liberty. Most folks coming from that area through Pittsburgh would take the northern route and not mess with the Pennsylvania Turnpike connecting to the NJ Turnpike.

 

From the south it is also about $7 more expensive to cut through Staten Island when you figure the difference between the NJ Turnpike tolls you save and the $13 bridge toll you pay to go from NJ to NY to get back to NJ. The OP seems nervous about directions, so IMO it might be much easier for him to find Exit 14A on the NJ Turnpike than it is to follow route 440 across Staten Island. I really like route 440 on Staten Island, but there is a confusing part where you get onto I278E and off again almost immediately to continue north to the Bayonne Bridge. The last few times I've cruised out of Bayonne, there has been no backup on route 440 to turn into the port - the new traffic light at Goldsborough Drive seems to be working better than the old one at Port Terminal Blvd. Any backups I've seen have been on the port access road itself.

[MedicKen]

The OP lives in Ohio, so I think they need to clarify exactly how they're approaching Cape Liberty. Most folks coming from that area through Pittsburgh would take the northern route and not mess with the Pennsylvania Turnpike connecting to the NJ Turnpike.

 

From the south it is also about $7 more expensive to cut through Staten Island when you figure the difference between the NJ Turnpike tolls you save and the $13 bridge toll you pay to go from NJ to NY to get back to NJ. The OP seems nervous about directions, so IMO it might be much easier for him to find Exit 14A on the NJ Turnpike than it is to follow route 440 across Staten Island. I really like route 440 on Staten Island, but there is a confusing part where you get onto I278E and off again almost immediately to continue north to the Bayonne Bridge. The last few times I've cruised out of Bayonne, there has been no backup on route 440 to turn into the port - the new traffic light at Goldsborough Drive seems to be working better than the old one at Port Terminal Blvd. Any backups I've seen have been on the port access road itself.

Carol,

We have driven both the Turnpike route and the I-80 route to and from Cape Liberty. We seem to like the Turnpike as it tends to be a diagonal to NJ. Remember the shortest route is a straight line. That being said, I-80 is accessed, from Pittsburgh, via I-79 both high speed interstate highways. So, this falls into a 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

 

BTW no tolls on I-80/79.

[rkacruiser]

138east is correct when she said I was nervous about directions. While I live in Ohio, I will be attending a family event in the Washington-Baltimore area and coming from that area if I decide to incorporate a cruise from Port Liberty in my itinerary.

 

Thanks for all of the information. I will certainly make note of all the advice, consult with AAA, and make use of my Onstar system.

[njhorseman]

138east is correct when she said I was nervous about directions. While I live in Ohio, I will be attending a family event in the Washington-Baltimore area and coming from that area if I decide to incorporate a cruise from Port Liberty in my itinerary.

 

Thanks for all of the information. I will certainly make note of all the advice, consult with AAA, and make use of my Onstar system.

 

Whatever you do, don't rely on a GPS system in the immediate Cape Liberry area. People have been misdirected by some systems. That's why Carol (138east ) has written out the very simple directions I quoted in my first post.

[rkacruiser]

Whatever you do, don't rely on a GPS system in the immediate Cape Liberry area. People have been misdirected by some systems. That's why Carol (138east ) has written out the very simple directions I quoted in my first post.

 

Thank you very much. I appreciate the warning.

[greatam]

Greatam:

 

Going via one of the bridges (Outerbridge Crossing or Goethals Bridge) from NJ into Staten Island and then the Bayonne Bridge back into NJ is more expensive than just going north on the NJ Turnpike to Exit 14A.

 

 

You might want to do a cost/benefit analysis to determine how much additional money your drivers are spending on the additional tolls versus the cost of additional fuel due to sitting at a traffic light to make a left turn. It might change your mind (or it might not).

 

Sure it costs a little more-in a car, about $7.00 without EZ Pass. But it is also 9.4 miles closer and traffic on the turnpike ANY DAY of the week except maybe early Sunday morning gets more congested north of Exit 10.

 

My trucks don't use the Outerbridge-too many truck restrictions at various times of the day. But they use the Bayonne plenty to get in and out of NYC area. Faster than either the GWB or Goethals.

 

And what I actually posted was most of my trucks go SOUTH on 440 a couple of WAREHOUSES PAST the port entrance (down to Hook Rd where Gel Spice is) and make a flipper so they can enter the port making a right turn. Safer to make right hand turns and considerably faster if there are trucks lined up to make a left turn. EVERY truck entering that area has to have his paperwork checked and very often the security guards open trailer doors. And heaven help you if the truck in front of you has haz mat, even if it is something so inconsequential as VANILLA (considered haz mat in anything larger than quart containers). You might be sitting there for "hours" in that left turn lane-they alternate right and left turn lanes into the port for trucks. And right turn may have 4 trucks while left has 15. Same with the cars, especially on cruise days.

 

As for cost/benefit, we have two people whose ONLY job is to analyze routing, costs and efficiencies before pickups/deliveries are passed on to the dispatchers and sales depts. Believe me, we run the numbers just about every day or we wouldn't be in business very long with the amount of cross border NJ/NYC/CT traffic we do.

[Mokescaps]

Driving to port from Atlantic City. Best directions ?

Thanks.

[138east]

What date and day of the week are you sailing? The Pulaski Skyway closed this week for two years and we don't have any feedback yet on whether that is affecting the Cape Liberty traffic. The Bayonne Bridge is also under construction and there is no info on that yet either.

 

Basically you come up the parkway and the NJ Turnpike to exit 14A. Here are the directions from the 14A toll plaza.

 

Please print out my directions. Others have followed them successfully. The signage is poor. There are lots of choices and you have to make a quick decision as to where you are going. For a first timer there's not time to stop and try to spot the correct little sign and I'm not sure the names of all the streets are clearly marked. After you pay your toll you go straight across the toll plaza and get on a 2 lane ramp that goes up and curves left. This is hard to miss. On the ramp you stay on the right and make the first right, stay to the right and make another right. You will come to the light at route 440 where you will make a left, stay left, and make a left at the first light onto Goldsborough Drive. Route 440 is a four lane divided highway. You can only turn left at a traffic light - going south the first light is now at Goldsborough Drive. The left turn into the port used to be at Port Terminal Blvd (and it still is coming the other way), but they shut down that turn fairly recently and made Goldsborough Drive the main port access road coming from the north. Goldsborough Drive will merge with Port Terminal Blvd. You will be able to see the ship and you just follow the crowd about 2 miles out to the ship.

[Mokescaps]

Thurs. April 24th. Explorer of the Seas.

Don't know the area at all. Do we need those bridges?

[Mokescaps]

Take Garden State Parkway to NJ Turnpike? Is that what you are saying?

 

Thanks.

[138east]

Typically if folks are coming from the turnpike to Bayonne, they use what is known as the turnpike extension (exits 14, 14A, 14B, 14C) to the Bayonne exit 14A. With the Pulaski Skyway closed, much of the traffic it carried may be using the turnpike extension instead to get to exit 14C for the Holland Tunnel. We don't know the impact of this yet which is why I asked your date and day of the week. The other way to get to Bayonne is to pay the bridge toll to Staten Island and drive route 440 which crosses the Bayonne Bridge which is also under construction. Please take a look at a map.

 

You would come up the Parkway and get on the turnpike. However, if you want to go across Staten Island, you would get off the parkway just before the turnpike intersection and take the Outerbridge Crossing to pick up route 440. I don't know the details of how this works from the parkway, but perhaps others can comment. This route costs about $7 more when you deduct the turnpike tolls you save from the $13 bridge toll you do pay.

[Mokescaps]

So are you suggesting we go into NY?

Don't think I want to do that. Guess we will gave to leave

A.C. really early so we don't get lost and endure the possible detours.

[138east]

If you would provide the exact date, I would be able to give you better advice.

[Mokescaps]

Thurs. April 24th. Explorer cruise

[138east]

That's really close. The shutdown starts April 12 and no one knows exactly how it's going to play out. It will take some time to settle down. Going to Bayonne there are no detours, just the strong possibility of traffic jams on the turnpike extension.

 

My advice is that if you only want to drive the turnpike, you plan to arrive at Exit 14 no earlier than 10:30-11:00 am. I would also familiarize yourself with the alternative route through Staten Island. The Bayonne Bridge closures are 9 pm to 5 am, so they would not affect you.

 

I can understand you don't want to pay the toll to cross over into NYC only to come back to NJ, but IMO it might be well worth the extra $7 to do just that. If you've ever been trapped in a traffic jam on the turnpike with no way out, you'd probably wish you'd ponied up the extra money to avoid the mess.

 

Please monitor this forum over the next few weeks. We will try to post any info that we are aware of.

Edited April 8, 2014 by 138east

[Mokescaps]

Thanks. It's not the money! Don't know the area, especially NY.

[greatam]

FINALLY, after two days, got passage out of Bagram to Kuwait. Now I am going to find out which tent I get to sleep in while they figure out if I am going to get paid for leaving early and how much more of my job I have to do or not do.

 

Will post more later. I need a GOOD tent so I am sticking in this line. Wanted to stay in the hotel in Kuwait City but there were NO rental cars available so it was either take the shuttle to the base or hang at the airport HOPING for a rental car. I'll take my chances with the tent. At least I am safe. No room service but great food at the DFAC, free laundry and great showers.

 

Thanks for everyone's good wishes and prayers.

 

Tomorrow, I will have lots of internet and phone access to call NYC and find out just how bad the construction situation is. Will post more later.

 

Gina

[smeyer418]

congrats and yah! post pictures this I got to see.btw the Skyway won't close until April 12th northbound, the southbound remains open.

Edited April 8, 2014 by smeyer418

[138east]

Thank goodness you're out of Bagram! Tents, showers, and good food sounds like a vast improvement, but hopefully you will move on to the next step and get the he** out of there completely.

[njhorseman]

Great to hear that you're safely out of Afghanistan.