Route 35 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey, primarily traveling through the easternmost parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. It runs from the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, to an intersection with Lincoln Highway/St. Georges Avenue (Route 27) in Rahway, Union County. Between Seaside Park and Mantoloking, Route 35 follows the right-of-way of the former Pennsylvania Railroad along the Jersey Shore. The route heads through Point Pleasant Beach and crosses the Manasquan River on the Brielle Bridge, meeting Route 34 and Route 70 at the former Brielle Circle in Wall Township. From there, Route 35 heads north and intersects Route 138, an extension of Interstate 195 (I-195), continuing north through Monmouth County before crossing the Victory Bridge over the Raritan River into Perth Amboy, where the route continues north to Rahway.
Route 35 was designated in 1927 to run from Lakewood Township to South Amboy, from Lakewood Township to Belmar and from Eatontown to South Amboy. It was realigned onto its current alignment between Brielle and Belmar in 1929 and saw a northward extension along U.S. Route 9 (US 9) from South Amboy to Iselin in 1947. In 1953, Route 35 was realigned to run from Point Pleasant to Seaside Heights along a former part of Route 37, with Route 35 between Lakewood Township and Point Pleasant becoming Route 88. At the same time, Route 35 was removed from US 9 between South Amboy and Iselin and realigned to follow a former piece of Route 4 between South Amboy and Rahway. From the late 1950s to the mid-1970s, there were plans to build a freeway along the Route 35 corridor from Seaside Heights north into Monmouth County; the only portion that was built became part of Route 18. Route 35 was extended south to the Island Beach State Park entrance by the 1980s. Recent improvements to the route have removed many traffic circles and replaced the first cloverleaf interchange in the United States, built in 1929, at US 1/9 in Woodbridge Township with a partial cloverleaf interchange.
Route description
Ocean County Route 35 begins at the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, at the southern tip of the Barnegat Peninsula. South of Seaside Park, Route 35 is Central Avenue as it is the only road while it travels along the shore of the Peninsula. It heads north, varying between a two-lane road to a four-lane divided highway with parking spaces in the median and bike lanes on the outside through residential areas of South Seaside Park. It briefly becomes an undivided highway before crossing into Seaside Park, where the route becomes four-lane, divided Central Avenue, which also has median parking spaces. Route 35 passes by residences in Seaside Park, with the median widening for the Seaside Park Police Department building at the intersection of 6th Avenue, and then the road widening to six lanes further north. Upon crossing the intersection of Decatur Avenue, the southbound lanes of Route 35 run one block to the west of the northbound lanes and then turns to the west, bypassing Seaside Heights, a beach resort that has a boardwalk and an amusement pier. There, Route 35 turns north and has an interchange with the eastern terminus of Route 37 on the Seaside Heights/Berkeley Township border on the eastern shore of the Barnegat Bay. At this interchange, a ramp provides access from northbound Route 35 a short distance past the ramp from eastbound Route 37 to Seaside Heights, connecting to Sumner Avenue.
Past the Route 37 interchange, Route 35 continues north along Barnegat Bay, curving eastward and crossing into Toms River, where the route splits into a block-wide one-way pair with two lanes and a bike lane in each direction that heads north through residential and commercial Ortley Beach. After crossing into Lavallette a mile later, the northbound direction of Route 35 becomes Grand Central Avenue and the southbound direction of Route 35 becomes Anna O. Hawkins Boulevard. The route then crosses back into Toms River, passing through Dover Beaches North. When Route 35 enters Brick Township, the northbound direction becomes Ocean Avenue and the one-way pair between the opposing directions of Route 35 narrows as it passes oceanfront residences. Upon crossing into Mantoloking, Route 35 becomes a two-lane, undivided road and heads north along a narrow peninsula, intersecting with Herbert Street (County Route 528, CR 528) less than a mile later.
Route 35 continues north through Bay Head, where the bike lanes end and the road name becomes Main Avenue. It then enters Point Pleasant Beach, a beach resort with a boardwalk, where the route swings to the west and crosses NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line. Southbound Route 35 intersects the eastern terminus of Route 88 before Route 35 turns north onto another one-way pair with two lanes in each direction—the northbound direction following Cincinnati Avenue and the southbound direction following Richmond Avenue. The one-way pair carries the route through the downtown area of Point Pleasant Beach, with the NJ Transit tracks parallel to the east. At the intersection of Arnold Avenue (CR 633), northbound Route 35 shifts slightly to the west and becomes Hawthorne Avenue, passing to the west of the Point Pleasant Beach Station serving the North Jersey Coast Line. The route becomes a two-way highway again after half a mile and becomes a four-lane divided highway after intersecting with Broadway (CR 635), almost immediately crossing a channel of the Manasquan River and entering Monmouth County.
Monmouth County
Route 35 crosses into Brielle, Monmouth County, immediately passing over the main channel of the Manasquan River on a drawbridge. Upon crossing into Brielle, the route heads further west from the railroad tracks and intersects Ashley Avenue and the southern terminus of Route 71. The route continues northwest and crosses into Wall Township and meets the intersection of Route 34 and Route 70 at the former Brielle Circle, now an at-grade intersection with jughandles. Past this intersection, Route 35 heads north on a two-lane, undivided road that passes by many businesses. It meets the intersection of Atlantic Avenue (CR 524 Spur) at the Manasquan Circle, where the Circle Factory Outlet Center is located. Past the Manasquan Circle, Route 35 heads north as a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane that intersects with Allaire Road (CR 524). Route 35 widens to a four-lane divided highway and intersects the eastern terminus of Route 138, which continues west to become I-195. Route 35 curves to the east and crosses into Belmar where it becomes River Road. Here, the route runs along the south bank of the Shark River as a four-lane undivided highway, intersecting with H Street, where Route 71 heads to the south and running concurrently with that route. The two routes continue north along a divided highway until the intersection with 8th Avenue, where Route 71 heads to the east. Past this intersection, Route 35 becomes a four-lane, undivided road again, with the North Jersey Coast Line east of the road, and crosses the Shark River into Neptune Township.
Past the Shark River bridge, Route 35 continues as a four-lane divided highway that features an interchange with Memorial Drive (CR 40A), crossing into Neptune City. The route continues northwest away from the railroad tracks through residential and commercial areas of Neptune City as a four-lane, undivided highway before heading north as a two-lane, undivided road. Route 35 crosses back into Neptune, where it crosses the intersection of Corlies Avenue (Route 33). It continues through suburban development and comes to the Asbury Park Circle where the route intersects with Asbury Avenue (CR 16), crosses into Ocean Township, and intersects with the eastern terminus of Route 66. The route becomes a four-lane divided highway and passes by the Seaview Square Mall as it continues north through commercial areas, intersecting many roads with jughandles and passing near Weltz County Park. Route 35 passes through the intersection of Talmadge Avenue.
Route 35 then enters Eatontown, where it passes by the Monmouth Mall and intersects with Route 36 at the former Eatontown Circle, now an at-grade intersection with ramps. After that intersection, the route becomes an undivided highway. Consequently, Route 35 passes through a few more roads and commercial areas before finally crossing the intersection of Wyckoff Road (CR 547). Past this intersection, Route 35 intersects with Broad Street (Route 71), where it becomes Main Street. The route has an intersection of Tinton Avenue (CR 537) next to the former entrance to Fort Monmouth. Route 35 crosses into Shrewsbury, where it becomes Broad Street and continues north through residential and commercial areas, passing by The Grove at Shrewsbury. It intersects with (CR 520), running concurrently with that route and immediately crossing the North Jersey Coast Line into Red Bank. Upon entering Red Bank, CR 520, along with CR 11, head north on Broad Street and Route 35 heads northwest on two-lane Maple Avenue, which turns north and passes by numerous homes. Route 35 splits from Maple Avenue, briefly head west on West Front Street, and rejoins on four-lane Riverside Avenue, where it heads northwest while the southbound direction follows Pearl Street and Water Street. Route 35 crosses the Navesink River into Middletown Township.
Past the Navesink River, the route runs along a four-lane, divided highway with a jersey barrier, passing through commercial areas. It crosses under Normandy Road, which serves as a road and railroad link between the two sections of Naval Weapons Station Earle. Along the northbound lanes of Route 35, just before the intersection of Kings Highway, stands the Evil Clown of Middletown, a large sign advertising a liquor store. A mixed-use complex, the Middletown Town Center, is also planned to be built in this area. The route intersects with Cherry Tree Farm Road (CR 516), running concurrently with that route as it enters Holmdel Township. The concurrency with CR 516 ends at the intersection with South Laurel Avenue, where that route heads to the north and CR 52 heads to the south on South Laurel Avenue. Route 35 continues west past numerous businesses and runs through Hazlet before crossing into Keyport. In Keyport, the route comes to an interchange with the northern terminus of Route 36 that also features access to the Garden State Parkway. Past this interchange, the road continues northwest and passes under the Henry Hudson Trail before it intersects with Nappi Place (CR 3), where it also features ramps to CR 516, which Route 35 passes under just to the north. Past this interchange, the road crosses the Matawan Creek into Aberdeen Township, where it heads northwest through Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach.
Middlesex and Union counties