text: new jersey route 124 route 124 is a state highway in the northern part of new jersey in the united states that is 14 . 74 mi ( 23 . 72 km ) long . it is the eastern section of what used to be route 24 before that road was realigned to its current freeway alignment . the western end is at an intersection with u.s. route 202 ( us 202 ) and county route 510 ( cr 510 ) in morristown , morris county ; the eastern end continues as cr 603 on springfield avenue at the border between maplewood and irvington in essex county . the route runs through suburban areas of morris county , passing through madison and chatham . it interchanges with route 24 on the border of millburn , essex county and summit , union county and serves as a frontage road for that route . upon splitting from route 24 , route 124 continues east through springfield township , union township , and maplewood to its eastern terminus . the alignment of today ’ s route 124 was first designated as a part of pre - 1927 route 5 in 1916 , a route that was to run from delaware , warren county to newark . in 1927 , this portion of the route became a part of route 24 , a route that was to run from phillipsburg to newark . a freeway , which is the current alignment of route 24 , was proposed for this portion of the route in the 1950s that was approved in 1960 . route 24 was moved to the new freeway between the john f. kennedy parkway on the millburn / summit border and interstate 78 ( i - 78 ) in 1972 , with route 124 being designated along the former alignment of route 24 east of this point . in 1992 , the route 24 freeway was completed between i - 287 in hanover township and the john f. kennedy parkway . as a result , route 124 was extended west along the former route 24 to u.s. route 202 in morristown . route description morris county route 124 begins at the intersection of us 202 and cr 510 at the park place square in the downtown of morristown , morris county . from here , it heads to the southeast as south street , a two - lane undivided road that passes businesses . at the intersection with cr 663 , the road widens to four lanes . a short distance later , cr 601 continues southeast on south street and route 124 bears left to head east on madison avenue , coming to an interchange with interstate 287 . past this interchange , the road passes morristown memorial hospital and continues through mainly commercial areas with some homes . at the intersection with normandy parkway , the route turns to the southeast and enters morris township , where it narrows to two lanes again , with new jersey transit ’ s morristown line running a short distance to the northeast of the route near the morris county golf club . route 124 continues into more residential areas and crosses into madison . here , the route passes near some business parks before intersecting cr 636 , where it is briefly a four - lane road . past this intersection , the road passes between residential neighborhoods to the northeast and drew university to the southwest . route 124 crosses over the morristown line near james park and becomes main street , heading southeast through the commercial downtown of madison . here , the road intersects cr 647 and cr 608 . past the rosedale avenue intersection , the route heads into a mix of residential and business areas . route 124 enters chatham at the intersection with road / division avenue . in the center of the town , the route intersects cr 638 and cr 607 before continuing east . essex and union counties route 124 crosses the passaic river and runs along the border of millburn , essex county to the north and summit , union county , coming to a large interchange with the route 24 freeway and cr 649 ( john f. kennedy parkway ) . here , the route becomes a frontage road for the route 24 freeway that has two lanes in each direction . the road passes to the south of the mall at short hills before running through the canoe brook country club . it heads southeast into wooded residential neighborhoods and intersects union cr 657 , where the route 124 frontage road has ramps to route 24 . a short distance later , the route passes an overpass to nowhere that crosses over route 24 at brantwood drive which was closed and walled off . the route 124 frontage road has since eliminated the intersection at brantwood drive . in 2013 , city of summit vacated the 50 - foot public right of way of the old road section from route 124 into the current brantwood drive . in a short distant , route 124 intersects essex cr 608 , at which point the route has an eastbound ramp to eastbound route 24 and a westbound ramp from westbound route 24 . past this intersection , the route 124 frontage road along route 24 ends and the route becomes a two - lane undivided road called south service road that closely parallels the north side of route 24 , passing under the morristown line . the route heads past businesses and forms the border of millburn to the north and springfield township , union county to the south , coming to an intersection with cr 512 near an interchange with route 24 . there is a direct ramp from westbound route 124 to route 24 a short distance to the northwest of this intersection . from here , the route passes more commercial establishments as a four - lane road , heading farther from route 24 , before crossing cr 527 . at this intersection , route 124 entirely enters springfield township and becomes morris avenue , passing a mix of residences and businesses . the route passes under i - 78 without an interchange and becomes a two - lane road that passes through the downtown of springfield , eventually widening to four lanes again . in this area , it intersects cr 635 . route 124 comes to a circular junction with route 82 , county route 509 spur ( cr 509 spur ) , and cr 577 . here , route 82 continues southeast on morris avenue , cr 509 spur heads south , and cr 577 heads north . route 124 , meanwhile , briefly splits into a one - way pair here . the eastbound direction heads south on meisel avenue before turning north along maple avenue while the westbound direction follows springfield avenue . the two directions of route 124 rejoin and follow four - lane divided springfield avenue northeast to a partial interchange with i - 78 . here , there are ramps from the local lanes of eastbound i - 78 to both directions of route 124 , to the local lanes of westbound i - 78 and route 24 from both directions of route 124 , and to the express lanes of westbound interstate 78 from westbound route 124 . past this interchange , the route enters union township and continues east through developed areas , intersecting cr 638 before narrowing into a two - lane undivided road and intersecting cr 630 . it continues through more urban commercial areas before intersecting cr 630 again . at this point , route 124 crosses into maplewood , essex county and becomes a three - lane road with a center left - turn lane that is locally maintained . this road heads east through the downtown of maplewood , coming to an intersection with cr 601 . a short distance later , the route 124 designation ends at the border of maplewood and irvington , with springfield avenue continuing east into irvington as cr 603 toward newark . history what is modern - day route 124 was designated as a part of pre - 1927 route 5 , a route that was legislated in 1916 to run from delaware in warren county east to newark . in the 1927 new jersey state highway renumbering , this portion of pre - 1927 route 5 became a part of route 24 , a road that was to run from phillipsburg to newark . in the 1950s , plans were made to bypass this portion of route 24 with a freeway running from interstate 287 in hanover township to interstate 78 in springfield township ; this was approved of in 1960 . this freeway was completed between interstate 78 and the john f. kennedy parkway in 1972 . the route 24 designation was moved to the new freeway and route 124 was designated along the former alignment of route 24 east of this point , which included frontage roads built where the new freeway ran along the old alignment of the road . following the completion of the route 24 freeway to interstate 287 in 1992 , route 124 was extended west along the former alignment of route 24 between the john f. kennedy parkway and u.s. route 202 in morristown . in 2002 , maintenance of the portion of route 124 in maplewood was transferred to the municipality from the new jersey department of transportation . major intersections