 In 1917 , Route 9 was designated by the state of New Jersey to run from Phillipsburg east to Elizabeth , passing through Clinton , Somerville , Plainfield , and Westfield . With the establishment of the U.S. Highway System in 1926 , U.S. Route 22 was concurrently designated along the entire length of Route 9 . A year later , in the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering , Route 28 was legislated to run from Phillipsburg east to the Goethals Bridge , replacing pre @-@ 1927 Route 9 between Phillipsburg and present @-@ day Route 439 in Elizabeth , and following current Route 439 toward the Goethals Bridge . Meanwhile , the former alignment of pre @-@ 1927 Route 9 east became Route 27 @-@ 28 Link , as it provided a connection between Route 27 and Route 28 . A spur of Route 28 , named Route S28 , was also legislated in the 1927 renumbering and was to run from Route 28 in Middlesex southeast to Route 4 ( now Route 79 ) in Matawan . What was built of this route became Route 18 in the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering . By 1941 , U.S. Route 22 was eventually moved from Route 28 to follow Route 28 @-@ 29 Link and Route 29 between the Somerville area and Newark . Also , U.S. Route 22 was realigned to its current alignment along Route 24 and Route 24 @-@ 28 Link in Phillipsburg , with the alignment along Route 28 becoming U.S. Route 22 Alternate ( now Route 122 ) . In the 1953 renumbering of state highways , which eliminated long concurrencies between U.S. and state highways , the western terminus of Route 28 was cut back to its current location with U.S. Route 22 in Bridgewater Township , with the designation west of there dropped in favor of U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 22 Alternate . In addition , Route 28 was moved to its current alignment in Elizabeth , replacing Route 27 @-@ 28 Link ; Route 439 was designated along the former alignment of Route 28 that ran to the Goethals Bridge . 
