New Jersey was not part of the original 1926 plan for Route 40. A year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the route alignments, the Garden State was added to the mix.
From the east, the highway's terminus was at Atlantic City. It crossed the state and met the Delware River at Penns Grove. From there, a ferry service connected motorists to Wilmington, Delaware.
In 1929, the first realignment occurred at the Delaware River. The Penns Grove-Wilmington ferry was replaced with a new ferry service between Pennsville and New Castle, Delaware. At Dancy's Corner, the highway truned to the southwest.
A year later, in 1930, the highway was routed south of Mays Landing, thus avoiding many sharp turns. The highway routing would remain stable for the next twenty years.
In 1951, a short cut was added, eliminating the need to go north to Dancy's Corner. Also that year, the ferry service at Pennsville ended with the opening of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Nearby, a section was realigned around the New Jersey Turnpike.
In 1952, a dangerous at grade railroad crossing was avoided with a re-routing through Malaga.
Finally, in 1959, a residential section on Wiley Road was bypassed.
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