What is now Route 54 was originally legislated on March 30, 1938, to run from US 30/US 206 in Hammonton south to Main Road in Landis Township (part of present-day Vineland). The only part taken over as a state highway and designated Route 54 was north of US 40 in Buena, the proposed route south of this point remained as county-maintained Wheat Road. In 1953, Route 54 was defined onto its current alignment. A freeway was proposed along the Route 54 corridor in the late 1960s to connect the southern terminus of US 206 in Hammonton to Route 55 in the Vineland/Millville area; it was eventually canceled.
Route description
View north along Route 54 at CR 559 in Hammonton
Route 54 begins at an intersection with US 40/County Route 557 (CR 557) and CR 619 on the border of Buena and Buena Vista Township.[2] Known as Buena Hammonton Road, it proceeds north-northeast as a two-lane undivided road through agricultural areas, forming the border between Buena to the west and Buena Vista Township to the east.[2][3] After fully entering Buena Vista Township and becoming 12th Street, the road reaches an intersection with CR 690 and makes a turn more to the northeast.[2] At this point, Route 54 enters forested areas, with a few breaks for residences.[3] Upon entering Folsom, the route passes over the Beesleys Point Secondary railroad line operated by the Cape May Seashore Lines railroad before coming to a cloverleaf interchange with US 322 (Black Horse Pike).[2] After this interchange, the road comes to a crossroads with Route 73, which is signed as CR 561 Spur. Following this intersection, Route 54 heads through a mix of woods and farm fields as it enters Hammonton and reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with the Atlantic City Expressway.[2][3] In the area of this interchange, the route is a four-lane divided highway.[2]
Route 54 southbound at the Atlantic City Expressway interchange in Hammonton
Past the Atlantic City Expressway, the two-lane undivided road comes to an intersection with CR 559.[2][3] From this point, Route 54 is lined with residences and businesses as it comes into downtown Hammonton.[3] The road crosses NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Line at-grade immediately before a junction with CR 561. After CR 561, the route becomes Bellevue Avenue and encounters the western terminus of CR 542.[2] As the road leaves the downtown area, the surroundings become more residential.[3] Route 54 ends at an intersection with US 30 and US 206, where the road continues north as US 206.[2]
History
By 1927, what is now Route 54 was an unnumbered, unpaved road connecting Buena to Hammonton.[4] Route 54 was legislated on March 30, 1938, to run from US 30/Route 43 and US 206/Route 39 in Hammonton south along Lincoln Avenue to an intersection with Main Road in Landis Township, Cumberland County (now a part of Vineland).[1] The only portion of Route 54 that was taken over as a state highway was north of the US 40/Route 48 intersection in Buena.[5] The portion of Lincoln Avenue south of US 40 remained a county route called CR 25 in Cumberland County and CR 55 and CR 19 in Atlantic County.[6][7] This road is presently both Cumberland and Atlantic CRs 655 and a part of Atlantic CR 619.[8][9][10] In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 54 was defined onto its current alignment between US 40 in Buena Vista and US 30/US 206 in Hammonton.[11][12] In the late 1960s, a freeway was proposed for the US 206/Route 54 corridor, running from US 30 in Hammonton south to Route 55 and the proposed Route 60 near Vineland and Millville.[13] The freeway between Vineland/Millville and Hammonton was to cost $47 million and was intended to provide a better route between the two areas than the existing two-lane roads. This proposed freeway was never built due to environmental and financial issues.[14]
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