NJDOT dedicates Bayshore Heritage Scenic Byway

( Trenton ) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Stephen Dilts today joined Cape May, Cumberland and Salem county officials at the historic Hancock House in Lower Alloways Creek, Salem County to dedicate the Bayshore Heritage Scenic Byway. The Scenic Byway program recognizes transportation corridors with regionally outstanding significance and cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and natural qualities.

"Designating the Bayshore Heritage Scenic Byway will provide a glimpse into the unique historic and natural qualities that define the Bayshore region,” said Commissioner Dilts. “NJDOT recognizes the colonial history and natural beauty of this highway corridor, and we encourage others to visit the Delaware Bayshore.”

The 122-mile Bayshore Heritage Byway captures the unique natural and historical landscapes along southern New Jersey's "western shore.” The Byway extends through 19 municipalities within Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. This scenic route offers travelers destinations to explore the natural, historic and cultural assets along the Delaware River and Bayshore.

This byway displays the connections between its communities and its history, surrounding marshlands, and farm fields. This area was home to the Leni-Lenape Native Americans and features historic colonial sites such as the Hancock House. The region is also recognized as part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network by the World Wildlife Fund, the International Association of Wildlife Agencies, and the states of Delaware and New Jersey.

The Bayshore Heritage Scenic Byway dedication marks the seventh Scenic Byway in the State of New Jersey. NJDOT designated the Route 57 Byway in Warren County as the state’s sixth Scenic Byway in February 2009. The Delaware River Byway, the Millstone Valley Byway, the Southern Pinelands Natural Heritage Trail, Palisades Interstate Parkway, Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway were previously dedicated.

The goals of the Scenic Byway program are to expand public awareness of these corridors; improve the quality of the byways; provide quality locations for recreational endeavors and to foster state and local partnerships with the federal government.