Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Department of Transportation

Transportation Firsts

In addition to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) becoming the first State transportation agency in the nation, New Jersey has had the honor of many transportation firsts:

1772	stagecoach service
1793	balloon flight in America, landed in Woodbury
1811	regular steam ferry service, Hoboken
1837	steam locomotive manufactured in America, Paterson
1848	cable manufactured for suspension bridges (Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge), Trenton
1870	asphalt pavement laid in America, Newark
1891	grant money dispersed to counties for road construction
1897	submarine constructed in America, Elizabeth
1900	submarine purchased by the United States Navy
1909	airplane manufacturing plant, Paterson
1919	aviation facility to be called an "airport" in the world, Bader Field, Atlantic City
1925	traffic circle in America constructed, Airport Circle, Pennsauken
1928	cloverleaf intersection in America constructed, Route 1&9 and Route 35, Woodbridge
1931	longest man-made steel arch bridge constructed in the world, Bayonne Bridge
1956	intermodal container service launched in the world, Newark
1959	scientifically-designed highway barrier used to separate opposing lanes of traffic and reduce head-on collisions, became known as the Jersey Barrier
1969	breakaway sign developed

breakaway sign photo — 1969 - The Load Concentrated Breakaway Coupling (LCBC). The LCBC was introduced for large signs, a national first designed by NJDOT staff.

airport circle photo — 1925 - The Airport Circle, Connecting Routes 30, 130 and 38, construction began on the nation's first traffic rotary.

cloverleaf photo — 1928 - The Woodbridge Cloverleaf The first cloverleaf in the nation was constructed at Route 1&9 and Route 35.

Last updated date: July 5, 2019 11:24 AM