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New Jersey Turnpike
interstate73:
So the potential coming of AET on the Turnpike in the next decade has me thinking about Exit 14...
78 and all ramps to and from the Turnpike, 1and9, and local streets converge briefly through the toll plaza then immediately diverge on their separate ways again. How the heck is it going to be possible to make this stretch of road workable without the toll plaza there to (de facto) meter traffic?
jmacswimmer:
--- Quote from: interstate73 on January 05, 2023, 10:39:01 PM ---So the potential coming of AET on the Turnpike in the next decade has me thinking about Exit 14...
78 and all ramps to and from the Turnpike, 1and9, and local streets converge briefly through the toll plaza then immediately diverge on their separate ways again. How the heck is it going to be possible to make this stretch of road workable without the toll plaza there to (de facto) meter traffic?
--- End quote ---
This exact thought crossed my mind when I passed thru that interchange on the way to Metlife Stadium a couple months ago...yeah, there's no ideal solution to that one. The best I can think of is to take advantage of some of the existing slip ramps on I-78 on either side in order to minimize weaving.
For eastbound, force all traffic not continuing onto the Newark Bay Extension to use this slip ramp to access the mainline turnpike. (Which is already signed that way, funnily enough). Then this onramp would simply split the way it's already signed, and then traffic will at least already be segregated between the mainline and the extension passing thru what would be the former toll plaza area. The only missing movement I can think of in this scenario is local lanes traffic looking to continue east onto the extension, so might need to squeeze a new slip ramp in somewhere for that moment.
Another thought is that you could permanently close the onramp referenced above that joins I-78 between the local & express lanes just before the toll plaza, as traffic both on US 1-9 southbound and coming from the port could simply continue south on US 1-9 to the next entrance to I-78 eastbound just past the string of hotels. Then with the freed-up space, you could add a slip ramp from the local lanes/turnpike mainline ramps back to the express lanes/extension in the toll plaza area.
For westbound coming off the Newark Bay Extension, the movement currently signed for US 1/9 & Newark Airport would become the only way to access the local lanes while the primary lanes would default onto the express lanes with no other option. Meanwhile, the 2-lane offramp from the southbound turnpike to I-78 westbound could split (maybe just after the ramp to I-78 eastbound separates, in order to prevent any additional weaving) and send 1 lane each to the local & express lanes. The only missing movement I can think of here would be from the northbound turnpike to the express lanes, which would either require an additional slip ramp elsewhere or just let it be.
Pardon the crappy doodles, but wanted to at least provide a rough visual aid to my narrative above.
Option retaining the eastbound on-ramp just before the toll plaza:
Option removing that ramp and adding a slip ramp from local to express:
roadman65:
The EB I-78 Express lanes should default into the Newark Bay Extension and the local lanes the main turnpike.
Signage was originally set up to make it appear that way for years to discourage weaving at the Exit 14 Plaza. There is the I-78 local to express crossover already to have through I-78 switch to express with Exits 56,57, and 58 have access to both local and express with the exception of the later added NJ 21 ramp that places the motorists on local only lanes. That can be fixed I’m sure.
roadman65:
The Exit 11 plaza is more challenging to eliminate weaving as going from the Parkway to the Turnpike you have three on ramps into the plaza where you have two split after.
Exiting Exit 11 you have three ramps ( remember the Exit 11 NB truck lanes provides the third) into the plaza and split into two beyond.
storm2k:
--- Quote from: roadman65 on January 06, 2023, 05:25:02 PM ---The Exit 11 plaza is more challenging to eliminate weaving as going from the Parkway to the Turnpike you have three on ramps into the plaza where you have two split after.
Exiting Exit 11 you have three ramps ( remember the Exit 11 NB truck lanes provides the third) into the plaza and split into two beyond.
--- End quote ---
I disagree. If the plaza is removed, there's still enough distance between those three ramps merging before you get to the split for the different directions of the Turnpike. Being able to slim down to 3 or so lanes in that point is actually probably better for traffic flow and safety than the situation now. You can just reconfigure some of the ramps and lengthen the distances before they merge to better accommodate the flow of traffic safely.
14 is going to be the really hard one.
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