Route 49 is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs from an interchange with the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 295 (I-295), and U.S. Route 40 (US 40) in Deepwater, Salem County, southeast to Route 50/County Route 557 (CR 557) in Tuckahoe, Cape May County. The route serves Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, passing through rural areas and the communities of Salem, Bridgeton, and Millville along the way. It is a two-lane, undivided road for most of its length.
Route 49 was established in 1927 to run from Salem to Clermont, running along its present alignment between Salem and Millville, following current Route 47 between Millville and South Dennis, and running along present-day Route 83 between South Dennis and Clermont. It replaced a branch of pre-1927 Route 6 between Salem and Bridgeton and a part of pre-1927 Route 15 between Bridgeton and South Dennis. In 1953, Route 49 was routed onto its current alignment, replacing a part of Route 44 between Salem and Deepwater and following the former alignment of Route 47 between Millville and Tuckahoe. In the 1960s, a freeway was planned for Route 49 between Deepwater and Millville, but it was never built. In the 2000s, many improvements have been or are being made to bridges along Route 49.
Route description
Salem County
thumb|left|View east at the western terminus of Route 49 at I-295/US 40/US 130 in Pennsville
Route 49 heads southwest on Broadway from an interchange with the New Jersey Turnpike, I-295, and US 40 in the community of Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, near the Delaware Memorial Bridge. North of here, the road continues to the north as US 130. Route 49 passes through residential and commercial areas of Pennsville, turning to the south-southeast and passing west of Pennsville Memorial High School. The route intersects CR 630 (Fort Mott Road) before it continues into farmland. Route 49 then intersects the southern terminus of CR 551 (Hook Road and CR 632 (Lighthouse Road). It crosses the Salem River into Salem and becomes Front Street. The route replaced a branch of pre-1927 Route 6 between Salem and Bridgeton and a part of pre-1927 Route 15 between Bridgeton and South Dennis. A spur route of Route 49, Route S49, was created in 1927 to run from Route 49 in South Dennis to Route 4 in Rio Grande along the remainder of pre-1927 Route 15. Route S49 was extended to Wildwood in 1938.
thumb|right|Route 49 eastbound past CR 678 (North Wade Boulevard) in Millville
In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 49 was extended west along what was a part of Route 44 to Deepwater to end at US 40 and US 130 near the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The eastern part of the route was realigned to head from Millville east to Route 50 in Tuckahoe, replacing what had been the southern part of Route 47. Meanwhile, Route 47 was realigned to head south from Millville, replacing Route 49 from Millville to South Dennis and the length of Route S49. The portion of Route 49 from South Dennis to Clermont became Route 83.
A freeway was proposed for Route 49 in the early 1960s, running from I-295 and US 40 at the Delaware Memorial Bridge to Route 55 in Millville. However, this freeway was canceled by 1967 as it closely paralleled the planned Route 60 freeway, which itself was never built.
In the 2000s, construction has occurred to replace many bridges along Route 49. The drawbridge over the Salem River was replaced by a fixed span in the mid-2000s. On October 1, 2008, the bridge over the railroad line in Tuckahoe was closed for reconstruction and reopened in June 2009. The bridge over the Cohansey River in Bridgeton was also reconstructed. Construction on this bridge started in October 2008 and was completed in July 2009.