Current and historic west endpoints of US Highway 46
in Columbia NJ and Portland PA

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz and Jeff Kitsko. Photo credits: Chris Elbert; Doug Kerr; Christopher Mason; J.P. Nasiatka; Alex Nitzman

Originally US 611 ran through Portland PA but did not enter NJ. So when US 46 was first commissioned in 1936, it was signed across the Delaware River from Columbia NJ, to end at US 611 in Portland. That bridge connected the central parts of both towns, but it is no longer standing. However, roughly in its place is a pedestrian bridge:

Elbert, July 2006

That's looking southwest into Portland. Running in front of the storefronts is PA 611 (formerly US 611), so US 46 originally ended just ahead. On this pedestrian bridge, the plaque shown below is mounted:

Elbert, July 2006

The current bridge between the two towns was opened to traffic in late 1953, so perhaps that's why replacing the old one was deemed unnecessary.

Anyway, US 46 used that old bridge for only a couple years at the most. In the mid- to late-1930's another bridge was built across the Delaware River - this one was about two miles south of the current one, just north of the town of Delaware NJ. US 46 was routed onto this road, which aligned with River Rd/Delaware Av in Portland PA. At the time, US 611 came into Portland on State Street before heading north, so the end of US 46 was on River Rd at State. The photo below is looking north on PA hwy. 611 (or River Road) at State in Portland:

Nasiatka, Sep. 2003

Northbound US 611 used to come in from the left on State, and it continued straight ahead, so US 46 would've ended at this intersection. Below we're looking east on State at PA 611:

Nasiatka, Aug. 2002

That's from the perspective of a driver on historic northbound US 611, which continued to the left from here. To the right was an historic west beginning of US 46. Below is another view:

Nasiatka, Aug. 2002

That's looking south on Route 611. Old US 611 continued south by turning right here on State. US 46 began straight ahead, and crossed the river into NJ (that bridge was also destroyed and no longer exists, but it ran just south of the current railroad bridge outside Delaware NJ).

In 1953 the current bridge was opened. At that time, not only was US 611 moved off State in Portland to align with the new bridge, but also its route was altered so that it crossed the bridge into NJ. US 611 re-entered Pennsylvania at Delaware Water Gap; its old route through Portland and along the PA side of the river was christened "Alternate US 611". Thus the west terminus of US 46 was moved out of PA, to its junction with US 611 across the river in Columbia NJ. Here's a photo of the modern equivalent of this junction:

Kerr

That's heading east into Columbia via the bridge. This used to be northbound 611, which veered to the left ahead (that now connects with I-80 at interchange 4). The west beginning of US 46 was to the right.

This whole arrangement was reconfigured again in 1965, when I-80 was completed through the area. When that happened, the US 611 designation was moved back to its original alignment (through Portland and entirely in PA). But instead of running US 46 back across the river to US 611 in Portland, its western terminus was changed to I-80's interchange 4, where it remains to this day:

Elbert, July 2006

That's signage for the west beginning as seen from westbound I-80. The photo below was taken from the opposite direction:

Mason, May 2002

That shows the beginning from eastbound I-80. (Chris reports that signage had changed a bit by 2006: on the left, the control point is now "New York City"; and on the right, "Portland" is listed before "Buttzville".) If you exit to US 46, the photo below shows the first eastbound sign at far left...

Nitzman, 2000

...although J.P. reported that the overhead sign had been removed by August 2002. In the foreground, note the old US 611 shield - closeups are shown below:

Elbert, July 2006 (both)

US 611 has been decommissioned, and I don't even think that road is designated NJ 611. But the car is following an historic routing of US 611 - at least as much as it's possible today: from 1954-1965, US 611 came south from DWG to this point, and then turned right (west) to cross the river into Portland PA. US 46 began straight ahead at that turn:

Nitzman, 2000

That's looking down at the former west beginning of US 46. The on-ramp coming in from the right is from the toll bridge from Portland - and that's roughly how northbound US 611 traffic would've turned onto eastbound US 46. As it did then, US 46 remains in New Jersey by continuing south along the east bank of the Delaware. Note the white hatch paint at the merge - you'll see that in another photo below. But first, let's look at that green mileage sign ahead:

Nasiatka, Aug. 2002

Kind of interesting, because that's basically a mileage log of the entire route of US 46 (Fort Lee is just past Palisades Park). However, not shown on that sign is one of the first towns on US 46, one with a great name: Manunka Chunk. The photo below was taken looking back in the opposite direction:

Nitzman, 2000

That shows a view of the west end of US 46 - you can see the aforementioned entrance from the toll bridge on the left. For a period of about 10 years, northbound US 611 went straight from here; southbound 611 went left, across to Portland; and US 46 ended here. It still ends here - or pretty much here, at the I-80 ramp just ahead.

Photos from the east end of US 46 can be viewed on my main US 46 page.