CR 508 begins in Livingston at the Livingston Circle, a realigned traffic circle, with State Route 10 and County Route 609. As West Northfield Road, the highway travels through a primarily residential section of Livingston. This turns into a more commercial area approaching the intersection with Livingston Avenue, after which East Northfield Road goes through another residential section. At the eastern end of Livingston there is another commercial area near the intersections with County Route 527 and Old Short Hills Road. After this the route enters West Orange; the road, now called Northfield Avenue, is lined with businesses and offices until it enters South Mountain Reservation. After crossing over Second Watchung Mountain the route intersects with County Route 636. Beyond the intersection there are businesses on the north side, with the Richard J. Codey Arena and Turtle Back Zoo on the south side. The road then climbs up First Watchung Mountain, intersects County Route 677, then heads down towards the foot of the mountain, intersecting County Route 577 about halfway down. At the bottom, CR 508 turns onto Whittingham Place, while Northfield Avenue finishes its run as CR 508 Spur. Eastbound traffic continues down Whittingham to Valley Road, whereas westbound traffic uses one-way Kingsley Street as a shortcut between Valley Road and Whittingham Place. CR 508 reunites on Valley Road at the south end of Kingsley Street, and then very soon turns onto Central Avenue, passing through a small industrial area before entering Orange. The road passes under the Morristown Line and intersects County Route 638. A variety of schools, businesses, parks, churches, and houses line Central Avenue through Orange, This becomes mostly businesses as the route passes through East Orange, where it intersects County Route 605 and County Route 509. The route forms the northern edge of Fairmount Cemetery straddling the boundary between East Orange and Newark. Central Avenue passes through University Heights, which ends at Broad Street. CR 508 continues on Park Place and Center Street, passing the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. An unsigned multiplex with State Route 21 between Center and Bridge Streets follows, at which point the route turns east onto the Bridge Street Bridge. CR 508 crosses the Passaic River into Harrison, Hudson County, on the Bridge Street Bridge, which becomes Harrison Avenue. It intersects County Route 699, Interstate 280, County Route 697, and County Route 507 in Harrison. The road becomes Newark Turnpike in Kearny and intersects Interstate 280 before ending at a grade-separated interchange with State Route 7, which is Belleville Turnpike west of the interchange but takes on the Newark Turnpike name east of it.
History
A road from the Passaic River to the Hudson Waterfront was completed in 1750 and named Douwe's Ferry Road, for the ferry which crossed the Hackensack River. In 1790 the state legislature decided that "public good would be served by a wide road from Paulus Hook to Newark Couthouse". By 1795 a bridge over the Hackensack long and another over the Passaic long were built creating an uninterrupted toll road connection. The road between them is known as the Newark Turnpike. The like-named Newark Plank Road also connected with Hudson Waterfront with Newark following a different route. In 1916, this road was signed as part of the William Penn Highway, which stretched from Jersey City to Pittsburgh, PA. The route was incorporated into Route 9 in 1927, before being entirely removed by 1953. The county route was established largely along its present-day alignment in 1952, along with the other 500-series county highways.
Major intersections
Spur routes
CR 508 Spur
County Route 508 Spur is a spur route in West Orange. The spur route runs on Northfield Avenue between Whittingham Place and Main Street. Signage is sporadic with one sign using "Alt" instead of "Spur." Major intersections
CR 508 Alternate
County Route 508 Alternate is a unsigned former segment of the Newark Turnpike in Kearny. It is a two-lane wide, county-maintained access road from Route 7 eastbound serving a NJ Transit maintenance facility and other industrial companies in the Meadowlands.
