New Jersey Turnpike

[roadman65]

Get the contractor to do it.  Make them pay for the asphalt!

I never said that Exit 8 is more money, I said that exit 7 is.  And 50 cents and 14 more miles of spent fuel is not needed.

FYI in Florida they make temporary pavements and crossovers even for a week at most places. Granted not many express and local set ups, and yes they will close some ramps like with Ivanhoe Blvd. right now during that ultimate I-4 project, but its not like its seven whole miles before and after it like with 7A.

Is NJTA really trying to win a noble prize or something for not having a left hand merge even for temporary set ups?  Its like their pavement markings use way more paint then the FHWA sets as standards.  I have to disagree with that as it makes you appear you are traveling 10 mph slower than your actual speed. However, this all will not make me stop driving the NJT, nor am I going to lose sleep over it either.  Its just a simple disagreement that I think the NJT is doing wrong.  And if it were me I would say build the damned crossover and forget the image of presenting to drivers the spotless freeway of no left exits and entrances!

Also did you remember when the underpasses in Elizabeth were all being repaired?  The NJTA did allow the workers to build a crossover to the truck lanes to keep 3 consistent lanes on both carriageways open.  In that case the far right cars lanes used the far left truck lanes and no jersey wall separated traffic either.  The right shoulder was eliminated so that the truck lanes could be shifted over and all was well.  When done the contractor replaced the guardrail and ripped up the asphalt and all is well now.

[bzakharin]

I wonder if this is also why the new southbound merge of the car and truck lanes is striped in such a way that the car lanes get to keep two of their lanes (left lane ends) while the truck lanes merge into a single lane (right lane ends, left two lanes merge)? The old merge near exit 8A was a 50/50 merge where the left truck lane and the right car lane merged into one.

[cl94]

Is NJTA really trying to win a noble prize or something for not having a left hand merge even for temporary set ups?  Its like their pavement markings use way more paint then the FHWA sets as standards.  I have to disagree with that as it makes you appear you are traveling 10 mph slower than your actual speed.

The pavement markings drive me crazy. ISHTA and the Indiana Toll Road do the same thing, as do PTC, the Maine Turnpike Authority, Port Authority, and TBTA to a lesser extent.

[roadman65]

Is NJTA really trying to win a noble prize or something for not having a left hand merge even for temporary set ups?  Its like their pavement markings use way more paint then the FHWA sets as standards.  I have to disagree with that as it makes you appear you are traveling 10 mph slower than your actual speed.

The pavement markings drive me crazy. ISHTA and the Indiana Toll Road do the same thing, as do PTC, the Maine Turnpike Authority, Port Authority, and TBTA to a lesser extent.

I saw that on the Indiana Toll Road and I was actually pleased that someone else did that other than NJTA.

In fact, many years ago, the NJTA published a newsletter called "The Trailblazer" and they did an article on the oversize pavement markings.  It was fascinating to read about why they do it.  They admitted the feds want one length and width, but  the Authority wants to do it better for safety and so they have.

As far as the not having merges from the left, more power to them as I used to hate the left side South Street ramp to I-4 West in Downtown Orlando or that crossover in Newark from I-78 W Bound Express Lanes to the I-78 W Bound Local Lanes as it was sometimes a bitch to merge into high speed traffic  and having to turn your neck around to a 5 o clock position to see if it were clear.  However, I just think for one month they could make the exception.

[MASTERNC]

I think, in order to get everyone to use the truck lanes, you would have to have every entering Southbound VMS hybrid sign mention that.  While they may do that, no doubt people would miss or not completely understand the message.  It's nice they'll offer two options (Exits 8 & 7) for a detour, as NJDOT's policy is only to sign a detour after the exit.

From the wording of the announcement, it seems that detours will be posted at exit 8. They are just mentioning that you could use exit 7 as well.

Can confirm "Detour I-195" signs along the Hightstown Bypass as of this morning.

Who would want to drive 14 miles out of the way and pay extra tolls.  I do not know why the NJT will not build a temporary crossover about two miles before the interchange and allow for drivers in the car lanes to just transfer over.

Any other agency would do that.  Why does the NJTA have to be so anal about this? 

Couldn't you just go through the prior service plaza and use that as your "crossover" to the truck lanes?

[jeffandnicole]

I wonder if this is also why the new southbound merge of the car and truck lanes is striped in such a way that the car lanes get to keep two of their lanes (left lane ends) while the truck lanes merge into a single lane (right lane ends, left two lanes merge)? The old merge near exit 8A was a 50/50 merge where the left truck lane and the right car lane merged into one.

Eh...what highway are you looking at?

There are 6 lanes. The left 2 car lanes merge. The right 2 truck lanes merge. The right most car lane and left most truck lane merge.  It's a 50/50 split.

[Alps]

Couldn't you just go through the prior service plaza and use that as your "crossover" to the truck lanes?

You can, but they're not going to sign that. Service area ramps are for service area patrons only. If you have general traffic cutting through there at high speed, it's wildly unsafe, especially with no protection from the gas station area.

[ixnay]

Also did you remember when the underpasses in Elizabeth were all being repaired?  The NJTA did allow the workers to build a crossover to the truck lanes to keep 3 consistent lanes on both carriageways open.  In that case the far right cars lanes used the far left truck lanes and no jersey wall separated traffic either.  The right shoulder was eliminated so that the truck lanes could be shifted over and all was well.  When done the contractor replaced the guardrail and ripped up the asphalt and all is well now.

Was this when they installed the sound absorption walls that block the view of the streets below (a view unlike any other on the NJTP, and one that I miss BION)?

ixnay

[roadman65]

I believe so, but I cannot be sure.  All I know is that lanes were shifted and if you were in the right car lane you got diverted into the truck lanes for about a mile coming into Exit 13 going SB.  I am assuming it was by I cannot be sure.

One thing for sure, though, I miss NJ Roads so much and following the many road projects.  I used to go up there once a year, but lately I have been bent on clinching other places roads as well as keeping myself alive.  The last time I was in NJ was in 2012.

[bzakharin]

I wonder if this is also why the new southbound merge of the car and truck lanes is striped in such a way that the car lanes get to keep two of their lanes (left lane ends) while the truck lanes merge into a single lane (right lane ends, left two lanes merge)? The old merge near exit 8A was a 50/50 merge where the left truck lane and the right car lane merged into one.

Eh...what highway are you looking at?

There are 6 lanes. The left 2 car lanes merge. The right 2 truck lanes merge. The right most car lane and left most truck lane merge.  It's a 50/50 split.

Maybe I made a mistake, it was dark when I came through there on Sunday using the truck lanes, but what it looked like to me was:
All six lanes are side by side with a solid line separating the car and truck lanes
Left car lane ends first
A second solid line is introduced between the left two lanes and the right lane of the truck lanes
The two lanes between the solid lines merge into one and the right solid line goes away
The right lane ends leaving three lanes with the rightmost separated by a solid line
The solid line goes away

[jeffandnicole]

I wonder if this is also why the new southbound merge of the car and truck lanes is striped in such a way that the car lanes get to keep two of their lanes (left lane ends) while the truck lanes merge into a single lane (right lane ends, left two lanes merge)? The old merge near exit 8A was a 50/50 merge where the left truck lane and the right car lane merged into one.

Eh...what highway are you looking at?

There are 6 lanes. The left 2 car lanes merge. The right 2 truck lanes merge. The right most car lane and left most truck lane merge.  It's a 50/50 split.

Maybe I made a mistake, it was dark when I came through there on Sunday using the truck lanes, but what it looked like to me was:
All six lanes are side by side with a solid line separating the car and truck lanes
Left car lane ends first
A second solid line is introduced between the left two lanes and the right lane of the truck lanes
The two lanes between the solid lines merge into one and the right solid line goes away
The right lane ends leaving three lanes with the rightmost separated by a solid line
The solid line goes away

After the guiderail ends that separated the inner and outer roadway, there's a gore area.  Shortly after the gore area, the inner roadway's right lane and outer roadway's left lane have a passing line between them for a short distance.

Around the area of that gore area, the left two car lanes merge (technically, the left lane ends).  There's a solid line between the center and right lane of the inner roadway lanes.  Thus, by the time the 2 roadways have merged together, there's already been a merger of 2 car lanes.

Then, the right inner roadway lane and the left outer roadway lane merge together.  A solid line appears between the left and center lanes of the outer roadway.  After these two lanes have merged, the passing line reappears between the new left lane and the new center lane.  The solid line remains between the center lane and the 2 right lanes. 

Finally, the right two car lanes merge (technically, the right lane ends).  After that merger has completed, the solid line between the center lane and new right lane ends.

Here's a very crude drawing of how it would look (this may not even show up that well on your PC or phone, so I'll try to get pics or draw it up better at some point).

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Inner Left Ln  __   __   __   __   __   __                    _____________________   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __
Inner Ctr Ln   __   __   __   ____________________/                         __________________________  __   __   __   __
Inner Right Ln____________________   __   __   __   __  __            /                  ______________________________
Outer Left Ln __   __   __   __   __   __  __   __   __  ____________/                   /
Outer Ctr Ln  __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __   __         /
Outer Right Ln_____________________________________________________/

[storm2k]

It looks like the NJTA is putting up portable VMS's at interchange onramps to the SB Turnpike that advises drivers to use the truck lanes to reach Exit 7A (and interestingly enough, the signs specifically say truck lanes, not outer roadway... thought the Authority did not like the phrases "car" and "truck" lanes).

[roadman65]

They don't, but I guess they are swallowing their pride for once and appealing to how the average motorists thinks. 

[vdeane]

Given that the signage on the turnpike does not say "inner" or "outer" but rather "cars only" and "cars/trucks/busses", they probably didn't want to confuse people who don't know which is the inner roadway and which is the outer one.  Plus it makes the message shorter too; they just need to say "TRAFFIC TO EXIT 7A / USE TRUCK LANES".

[jeffandnicole]

Yep - as you're getting on the turnpike, there's nothing to indicate which ramp would be the inner roadway or outer roadway. In technical turnpike lingo, they use the terms inner & outer roadways, and more specifically acronyms, such as SNO (South to North Inner roadway), NSI (North to South Outer roadway), etc.  But to the motoring public, they almost always use what people understand, such as car lanes and truck lanes.  Anyone calling them Express & Local lanes are forced to live for 24 hours inside a service plaza.

Also, in turnpike lingo, they always use 'Interchange', not Exit.  But all the BGSs will say 'Exit'.  While most interchanges are exits, not all of them are as such.  Interchange 1, for example, is just a barrier plaza.  The exits, located about a mile south of the plaza, are unnumbered.  (Note, the southern-most exit, Exit 1, is on 295, not the Turnpike).

When the Turnpike & Parkway merged, they merged their people and operations, but certainly not their verbiage. The Parkway proudly refers to Exit 0 at the southern end of the Parkway, for example.

[roadman65]

Plus shadow traffic reporters are good at brainwashing people.  In Florida, Deano O' Neal (WPOS)  wants all his listeners to refer to FL 528 as "The Beachline" despite the signs are scarce to none using that particular verbal name.  He does the same for all of FL 417, calling it "The Greeneway" even in Seminole County when the name is officially "The Seminole Expresssway" or south of Exit 6 where it name is "The Southern Connector." 

Also the Beachline Expressway for FL 528 does not go all the way to Cape Canaveral, as it stops at US 1 in Cocoa.  For east of US 1 its officially "The Emory L. Bennett Causeway" all the way to the freeway's end in Port Canveral.  Yet ole Deano calls the whole length of 528 as "The Beachline."  One thing I will give credit to O' Neal for is that he will call FL 408 and FL 429 by number.

Some radio personality can be rather snarky and in some ways I can see why many claim that they, not only TV, but commercial non political bias radio too, are brainwashing our society.

[bzakharin]

Yep - as you're getting on the turnpike, there's nothing to indicate which ramp would be the inner roadway or outer roadway. In technical turnpike lingo, they use the terms inner & outer roadways, and more specifically acronyms, such as SNO (South to North Inner roadway), NSI (North to South Outer roadway), etc.  But to the motoring public, they almost always use what people understand, such as car lanes and truck lanes.  Anyone calling them Express & Local lanes are forced to live for 24 hours inside a service plaza.

Also, in turnpike lingo, they always use 'Interchange', not Exit.  But all the BGSs will say 'Exit'.  While most interchanges are exits, not all of them are as such.  Interchange 1, for example, is just a barrier plaza.  The exits, located about a mile south of the plaza, are unnumbered.  (Note, the southern-most exit, Exit 1, is on 295, not the Turnpike).

When the Turnpike & Parkway merged, they merged their people and operations, but certainly not their verbiage. The Parkway proudly refers to Exit 0 at the southern end of the Parkway, for example.

What's the punishment for calling a service area a service *plaza*?

[roadman65]

Probably the same as calling a toll barrier a toll plaza .

[Mergingtraffic]

Any updates on the sign replacement project that we've talked about?

[jeffandnicole]

I think, in order to get everyone to use the truck lanes, you would have to have every entering Southbound VMS hybrid sign mention that.  While they may do that, no doubt people would miss or not completely understand the message.  It's nice they'll offer two options (Exits 8 & 7) for a detour, as NJDOT's policy is only to sign a detour after the exit.

From the wording of the announcement, it seems that detours will be posted at exit 8. They are just mentioning that you could use exit 7 as well.

Can confirm "Detour I-195" signs along the Hightstown Bypass as of this morning.

So no detour signs on 206/130, just like I thought?

You thought wrong. 

The detour is signed thru Interchange 7 directing motorists towards 206 North, and detour signs are posted on 206 North itself.

[storm2k]

Any updates on the sign replacement project that we've talked about?

They're working on replacements along the Eastern Spur right now, mostly. Most signs replaced, including in advance of the 16E/18E toll plaza. New signs are down to 15E.

[Mergingtraffic]

Drove along the NJ Tpke and the only old sign left was this:


and NB only the Lombardi Service Plaza "exit now" sign on the eastern spur and the "FOOD FUEL KEEP RIGHT" sign as the roadways merge together. 

WOW

[roadman65]

Another part of Turnpike history gone.  I actually thought these signs would last forever like the large gantry over NJ 139 in Jersey City that still has "US 1-9" and "TURNPIKE" on it just at the foot of the Bergen Hill incline viaduct.

I am guessing that one is either NJDOT or PANYNJ, and that is why it lasted as long as it did and may be the last old sign assembly left in NJ.

[KEVIN_224]

I saw this picture in a Facebook group recently:



I think this is the Eastern Spur, crossing between Kearny and Secaucus, south of today's Exit 15X?

[noelbotevera]

I saw this picture in a Facebook group recently:



I think this is the Eastern Spur, crossing between Kearny and Secaucus, south of today's Exit 15X?

This is the Eastern Spur. I believe that was taken south of the Pulaski Skyway.