New Jersey Turnpike

[storm2k]

Saw that near Exit 11 NB, they are pouring the foundations for the new sign bridges for the MUTCD replacement project. They also have a work area near the 2 mile point of Exit 12 for more sign work it looks like. This means that the remaining button copy in this area is very endangered now.

WOW I think we can count on one hand how much button copy is left (not counting the current Exit 12 signs).  NJ-495 signage is gone, Exit 10 signage is gone, the relics around Exit 16 and 15E are gone.  Any others left? The Exit 17 SB signs and the black Speed Limit 50 on I-78 still there?  A shame I tell ya

Off the NJ Turnpike, you can still find a fair amount throughout the state.

Which is why I want to get down there and get some updated photos.  My favs are the I-80s and the GSP interchange..but that's for another thread

If you're referring to the old non-reflective button copy overheads approaching the Turnpike/GSP ramp from 9NB, those have been gone for the last six or seven months.

[NJRoadfan]

Now gone:

[jeffandnicole]

Every month around this time, the NJ Turnpike Authority has their monthly meeting to approve contracts and conduct other business.  Occasionally some noteworthy discussions come about, but generally speaking they're pretty mundane.  Here's this month's agenda: http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/BM_4-26-16.pdf .  The only thing of major interest is the approval of the bid to rebuild the GSP Interchange in Sayreville into a full interchange (https://goo.gl/maps/GDtBmmEtCo12), including replacing the overpasses over Chevalier Ave...no small task considering the Parkway is 15 lanes wide at this point.

Also, approval of some final payments for various contracts related to the NJ Turnpike 6-9 widening project (anyone remember that project...it was so long ago now!).

[storm2k]

Now gone:

Correct, those were replaced last summer.

Speaking of which. It seems like some signs for the MUTCD replacements on the Turnpike are getting illumination, and others are not. Does anyone know what the deciding factor is for whether or not a sign gets illumination?

For example:

No illumination


Illuminated


Illuminated, but that's because they reused the old 16W overhead gore point exit sign cantilever.

[Alps]

NJ Turnpike as a rule does not illuminate new signs because they are retroreflective. However, the Westerly Alignment has been identified as a fog location, so that is an exception to the rule. Don't know why it's not applied to the first photo, but maybe that's outside the limits of the fog area.

[cpzilliacus]

Book 'em - toll fraud 1!

NJ.COM: Bamboozled: Contractor charged in E-ZPass scam, customer nightmare over

Richard Zaragoza's E-ZPass customer service nightmare began nearly a year ago when the Delaware man's mailbox filled up with E-ZPass violation notices from New Jersey.

Zaragoza repeatedly gave proof the violations weren't his, but E-ZPass kept sending more notices.

More than 140 in all.

Zaragoza's case concluded earlier this week with the arrest of a man who was the subject of a previous Bamboozled column.

Erich Niemann, owner of Restore the Shore Contracting, was arrested by state police and now faces criminal charges -- third degree theft by deception and receiving stolen property -- for using a license plate that was stolen from Zaragoza.

Niemann racked up nearly $50,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, although only a portion of that was linked to the stolen license plate, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

[SignBridge]

An absolute disgrace. What kind of idiots work for these agencies that allowed this travesty to occur. Once the victim sent in a copy of the police report of the stolen plate, that should've been the end of it.

[jeffandnicole]

An absolute disgrace. What kind of idiots work for these agencies that allowed this travesty to occur. Once the victim sent in a copy of the police report of the stolen plate, that should've been the end of it.

Part of the problem appears to be the Delaware DMV continued to keep this guy's name associated with the stolen license plate. If they had disconnected his name from the plate, it would've prevented EZ Pass from getting his address.

Amazing that EZ Pass didn't do something sooner though.

[roadman65]

Now gone:

The funny thing is the replacement signs feature control cities for the NJT but use the redundant GS Parkway for the Parkway North.  You think they would give the Parkway a control city as well to keep the consistency!

[Mr. Matté]

Someone many moons ago mentioned a traffic light at the exit 9 ramps (search function sucks here so I can't really look for it too well) but here's some photographic proof of it existing (check the upper left hand side):

(source)

So thank you Governor Cahill toll workers for slowing down the tollbooth traffic that day so people's memories can be jogged 44 years later about a completely unrelated item!

[Kacie Jane]

Maybe I'm interpreting the photo wrong because of the angle, but it's curious that there's a traffic light there since it appears that the "cross street" also has a stop sign (right above the No Turns sign in the photo).

[NJRoadfan]

The stop sign is likely the access ramp from the NJTPA headquarters building (which was being expanded in 1972). Historical aerial images don't show where a light would have went around here as NJ-18 was always a trumpet interchange. It likely was temporary if anything.

[cl94]

The stop sign is likely the access ramp from the NJTPA headquarters building (which was being expanded in 1972). Historical aerial images don't show where a light would have went around here as NJ-18 was always a trumpet interchange. It likely was temporary if anything.

Light was dead center of this image

[lepidopteran]

Someone many moons ago mentioned a traffic light at the exit 9 ramps...

That might have been me.  We often went through Exit 9 in the early '70s, and there was indeed a traffic signal there.  But it was always flashing yellow when we went through.  Granted, it was a weekend or evening when we went that way (our primary Exit 9 usage was to visit a family friend in Somerset) so perhaps the NJTPA didn't see its primary commuter traffic at those times.  The signal vanished altogether in 1974 IIRC.

Neat to see it again in that photo.

[cl94]

Someone many moons ago mentioned a traffic light at the exit 9 ramps...

That might have been me.  We often went through Exit 9 in the early '70s, and there was indeed a traffic signal there.  But it was always flashing yellow when we went through.  Granted, it was a weekend or evening when we went that way (our primary Exit 9 usage was to visit a family friend in Somerset) so perhaps the NJTPA didn't see its primary commuter traffic at those times.  The signal vanished altogether in 1974 IIRC.

Neat to see it again in that photo.

From what I can tell, it served no other purpose than to provide access to the HQ building. Some of the ramps minus the light existed until recently.

[Stephane Dumas]

I saw these vintage NJ Turnpike movies posted on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0C-MiVtcdc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSRhEJc3GHw

[jeffandnicole]

Loved the videos! Thanks for posting them!!

[roadman65]

Maybe I'm interpreting the photo wrong because of the angle, but it's curious that there's a traffic light there since it appears that the "cross street" also has a stop sign (right above the No Turns sign in the photo).

Come to think of it I do remember that light there.  I saw it as a kid when my dad used to go to the now defunct Modells which I believe is now Sams Club.  It was flashing at the time, but now that you mention it, yes I do recall seeing it.  It was in the early 70's as the Morris Goodkind Bridge was the only bridge for US 1 across the Raritan.  Its parallel span, now carrying US 1 SB, was opened to traffic in 1974, so it had to be before that date when I saw it.

[storm2k]

NJ.com has an article today about the use of weathering steel as part of the Turnpike/Parkway MUTCD signage replacements.

[J Route Z]

Drove past exit 9 and new sign structures are in place (2 and 1 mile advance signs). They took out East Brunswick from the sign. These have exit tabs too.

[jeffandnicole]

The Turnpike decided to change their pull-thru control city approaching Interchange 5 Sounthbound.

https://goo.gl/maps/wonZXRVPi4r is now this.  It's a greenout plate - the color is just slightly off from the original BGS and you can see the rivets they used, but from a distance it appears to be a perfectly done modification.

[bzakharin]

The Turnpike decided to change their pull-thru control city approaching Interchange 5 Sounthbound.

https://goo.gl/maps/wonZXRVPi4r is now this.  It's a greenout plate - the color is just slightly off from the original BGS and you can see the rivets they used, but from a distance it appears to be a perfectly done modification.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd144/roadnut/0518161316_Burst11.jpg

Did they change the Northbound one too? I would think getting rid of "Thru Traffic" would be more of a priority

[jeffandnicole]

The Turnpike decided to change their pull-thru control city approaching Interchange 5 Sounthbound.

https://goo.gl/maps/wonZXRVPi4r is now this.  It's a greenout plate - the color is just slightly off from the original BGS and you can see the rivets they used, but from a distance it appears to be a perfectly done modification.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd144/roadnut/0518161316_Burst11.jpg

Did they change the Northbound one too? I would think getting rid of "Thru Traffic" would be more of a priority

I didn't notice...didn't even look back to see!

I'm guessing this one was changed because at Interchange 6, the control cities are Wilmington & Camden.  At Interchange 5, the control city was Wilmington, but no exit for Camden.  So Camden kinda just vanished at that point, even though it should be the next large city one comes to.

In other news, the chosen control cities suck.  Baltimore would've worked just fine.

[mariethefoxy]

I miss the signs that used to tell you how many miles till the next exit, comes in handy when you're dealing with the monotony of the Turnpike in South Jersey, especially between Exits 1 and 4

[SignBridge]

I agree with J & N. Baltimore would solve the whole issue. Who cares if it's two states away? It still makes sense.