http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2015/08/extend_route_55_from_philadelphia_to_cape_may_lawm.html#incart_river
Quote...First Legislative District lawmakers are attempting to restart dialogue about extending Route 55 to Cape May and are using traffic delays caused by an Aug. 5 construction accident on the Garden State Parkway as an example of why the project is needed.
The letter is signed by state Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak and directed toward New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Jaime Fox.
"This incident created a traffic nightmare, backing up vehicles on the roadway for hours, and demonstrated just how vulnerable Cape May County is in terms of motor vehicle access in and out of the county," the letter states. "If we were to encounter this type of large-scale incident again on one of our major roadways and, God forbid, need to evacuate our residents due to an oncoming storm, we could find ourselves in dire straits."...
That really needs to happen. Nothing worse than trying to get to one of the southern beaches and getting stuck on 47/347 cause of either an accident or a traffic light that isn't set for the volume of traffic on the road.
Quote from: ekt8750 on August 12, 2015, 12:50:23 PM
That really needs to happen. Nothing worse than trying to get to one of the southern beaches and getting stuck on 47/347 cause of either an accident or a traffic light that isn't set for the volume of traffic on the road.
You were saying... http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/alerts_breaking/one-killed-in-crash-that-shuts-in-maurice-river-township/article_58394642-4109-11e5-bc22-f7f763481366.html
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 12, 2015, 01:25:37 PM
Quote from: ekt8750 on August 12, 2015, 12:50:23 PM
That really needs to happen. Nothing worse than trying to get to one of the southern beaches and getting stuck on 47/347 cause of either an accident or a traffic light that isn't set for the volume of traffic on the road.
You were saying... http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/alerts_breaking/one-killed-in-crash-that-shuts-in-maurice-river-township/article_58394642-4109-11e5-bc22-f7f763481366.html
Good thing 347's wide enough that it won't be too big a problem...oh wait :banghead:
Somehow, I don't think Rt. 55 will be extended anytime soon, if ever.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 12, 2015, 04:13:25 PM
Somehow, I don't think Rt. 55 will be extended anytime soon, if ever.
Never say never.
Quote from: ekt8750 on August 12, 2015, 12:50:23 PM
That really needs to happen. Nothing worse than trying to get to one of the southern beaches and getting stuck on 47/347 cause of either an accident or a traffic light that isn't set for the volume of traffic on the road.
Petersburg Rd./610 is the start of Sunday summer traffic jams. NJ 83 also contributes.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 12, 2015, 04:13:25 PM
Somehow, I don't think Rt. 55 will be extended anytime soon, if ever.
I agree. Environmental issues killed it in the first place. With NJDOT funding what it is, this project would need to be largely Federally funded to have a chance - which means EPA - which means more environmental issues.
Quote from: Alps on August 12, 2015, 06:15:18 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 12, 2015, 04:13:25 PM
Somehow, I don't think Rt. 55 will be extended anytime soon, if ever.
I agree. Environmental issues killed it in the first place. With NJDOT funding what it is, this project would need to be largely Federally funded to have a chance - which means EPA - which means more environmental issues.
Hit the nail on the head. While the idea had a bit of a resurgence after Hurricane Katrina as there is no good way to evacuate people from Cape May County in the event of a tropical storm system, it would probably cost billions (with a B) due to the terrain. The entire path goes through salt marshes and the pine barrens, both of which are protected. It wouldn't even get to a preliminary EIS because it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that environmental effects could be catastrophic and there's a chance it would disturb the aquifer underneath it all. There's a reason why the area became a national reserve in 1978.
Quote from: cl94 on August 12, 2015, 10:16:43 PM
Hit the nail on the head. While the idea had a bit of a resurgence after Hurricane Katrina as there is no good way to evacuate people from Cape May County in the event of a tropical storm system, it would probably cost billions (with a B) due to the terrain. The entire path goes through salt marshes and the pine barrens, both of which are protected. It wouldn't even get to a preliminary EIS because it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that environmental effects could be catastrophic and there's a chance it would disturb the aquifer underneath it all. There's a reason why the area became a national reserve in 1978.
I'm against building through the Pine Barrens. That's a pristine natural environment that New Jersey is very well known for, and I don't want to see a highway plowed through it.
Not that New Jersey even has the money to do so anyway, so...
Quote from: Zeffy on August 12, 2015, 10:55:21 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 12, 2015, 10:16:43 PM
Hit the nail on the head. While the idea had a bit of a resurgence after Hurricane Katrina as there is no good way to evacuate people from Cape May County in the event of a tropical storm system, it would probably cost billions (with a B) due to the terrain. The entire path goes through salt marshes and the pine barrens, both of which are protected. It wouldn't even get to a preliminary EIS because it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that environmental effects could be catastrophic and there's a chance it would disturb the aquifer underneath it all. There's a reason why the area became a national reserve in 1978.
I'm against building through the Pine Barrens. That's a pristine natural environment that New Jersey is very well known for, and I don't want to see a highway plowed through it.
TIL you've never been to the Pine Barrens.
Quote from: Zeffy on August 12, 2015, 10:55:21 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 12, 2015, 10:16:43 PM
Hit the nail on the head. While the idea had a bit of a resurgence after Hurricane Katrina as there is no good way to evacuate people from Cape May County in the event of a tropical storm system, it would probably cost billions (with a B) due to the terrain. The entire path goes through salt marshes and the pine barrens, both of which are protected. It wouldn't even get to a preliminary EIS because it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that environmental effects could be catastrophic and there's a chance it would disturb the aquifer underneath it all. There's a reason why the area became a national reserve in 1978.
I'm against building through the Pine Barrens. That's a pristine natural environment that New Jersey is very well known for, and I don't want to see a highway plowed through it.
Not that New Jersey even has the money to do so anyway, so...
The Long Island Expressway and the Sunrise Highway on eastern Long Island were built through a smaller scale version of the Pine Barrens than its New Jersey counterpart.
Quote from: J Route Z on August 12, 2015, 05:10:20 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 12, 2015, 04:13:25 PM
Somehow, I don't think Rt. 55 will be extended anytime soon, if ever.
Never say never.
True. Instead, say "We'll talk about this every 5 years or so...then shove it aside".
There would be a better chance of straightening out 347 and widening the local road network, but NJDOT seems reluctant on even doing that. The next 'big' thing is adding VMS signage and cameras to the corridor, which isn't going to do anything in terms of road capacity.
You have a lot of people screaming that they don't want to add a highway to the Jersey Shore, because more people would come and more commercial development will occur. EXCEPT...all of that has already happened, and no one waited for a highway before they started building.
Quote from: Dougtone on August 13, 2015, 06:30:13 AM
The Long Island Expressway and the Sunrise Highway on eastern Long Island were built through a smaller scale version of the Pine Barrens than its New Jersey counterpart.
Yeah, and both we supposed to extend significantly further and got aborted.
Quote from: dgolub on August 13, 2015, 09:05:56 AM
Quote from: Dougtone on August 13, 2015, 06:30:13 AM
The Long Island Expressway and the Sunrise Highway on eastern Long Island were built through a smaller scale version of the Pine Barrens than its New Jersey counterpart.
Yeah, and both we supposed to extend significantly further and got aborted.
And nothing else has really been built in Brookhaven and east, partially because of environmental stuff. In some ways, environmental concerns are actually more important than cost.
Quote from: dgolub on August 13, 2015, 09:05:56 AM
Quote from: Dougtone on August 13, 2015, 06:30:13 AM
The Long Island Expressway and the Sunrise Highway on eastern Long Island were built through a smaller scale version of the Pine Barrens than its New Jersey counterpart.
Yeah, and both we supposed to extend significantly further and got aborted.
Not after a dent was made in the LI Pine Barrens. It was a different time when the roads were built, but people were only then becoming aware of the area's environmental concerns. The same types of concerns would need to be considered with the NJ Pine Barrens.
SCH-I545
Quote from: cl94 on August 12, 2015, 10:16:43 PM
Quote from: Alps on August 12, 2015, 06:15:18 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 12, 2015, 04:13:25 PM
Somehow, I don't think Rt. 55 will be extended anytime soon, if ever.
I agree. Environmental issues killed it in the first place. With NJDOT funding what it is, this project would need to be largely Federally funded to have a chance - which means EPA - which means more environmental issues.
Hit the nail on the head. While the idea had a bit of a resurgence after Hurricane Katrina as there is no good way to evacuate people from Cape May County in the event of a tropical storm system, it would probably cost billions (with a B) due to the terrain. The entire path goes through salt marshes and the pine barrens, both of which are protected. It wouldn't even get to a preliminary EIS because it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that environmental effects could be catastrophic and there's a chance it would disturb the aquifer underneath it all. There's a reason why the area became a national reserve in 1978.
I think a well designed
elevated highway could be built. I'm thinking of the I-95 in South Carolina as an example.
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on August 13, 2015, 10:42:40 AM
I think a well designed elevated highway could be built. I'm thinking of the I-95 in South Carolina as an example.
You mean something like the wetland viaducts on I-10 and I-55 in Louisana? If so it could be possible but it would still have enviremental issues. This is one of the few situations where it might be better to not build the road and instead improve existing roads.
Quote from: Dougtone on August 13, 2015, 09:39:35 AM
Quote from: dgolub on August 13, 2015, 09:05:56 AM
Quote from: Dougtone on August 13, 2015, 06:30:13 AM
The Long Island Expressway and the Sunrise Highway on eastern Long Island were built through a smaller scale version of the Pine Barrens than its New Jersey counterpart.
Yeah, and both we supposed to extend significantly further and got aborted.
Not after a dent was made in the LI Pine Barrens. It was a different time when the roads were built, but people were only then becoming aware of the area's environmental concerns. The same types of concerns would need to be considered with the NJ Pine Barrens.
SCH-I545
It took some time, but the widening of both the AC Expressway & Garden State Parkway was approved by the NJ Pinelands Commission. And there has been some limited building within the Pinelands. But overall everything is very tightly controlled.
It will never happen. Though, well needed as NJ 47 is already congested and, yes, a good evacuation route is needed, its just the funds and the environmental issues are stacked against the whole project.
Even if NJ 55 does not get extended, it still would make a great I-x76, if I-76 itself were extended onto the Atlantic City Expressway and NJ 42.
However a great idea that one is you would have tougher restrictions sanctioned at you if you applied for interstate status on that one. The feds are stricter with the environment unlike the state is.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 13, 2015, 12:35:14 PM
However a great idea that one is you would have tougher restrictions sanctioned at you if you applied for interstate status on that one. The feds are stricter with the environment unlike the state is.
You haven't dealt with NJ Regulations recently, have you? If you can get NJ's DEP to approve the project, the Federal process is a piece of cake.
It doesn't really matter though. Unless the state was going to 100% fund this project if it were to occur - which they're not going to do - then the feds would be involved anyway.
Even if there's no Federal funding involved, if there are wetland impacts, the Army Corps of Engineers would be...
OTOH, if the case can REALLY be made . . . .
(see the MN 36/WI 64 Stillwater Bridge.)
Mike
Quote from: iBallasticwolf2 on August 13, 2015, 10:45:06 AM
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on August 13, 2015, 10:42:40 AM
I think a well designed elevated highway could be built. I'm thinking of the I-95 in South Carolina as an example.
You mean something like the wetland viaducts on I-10 and I-55 in Louisana? If so it could be possible but it would still have enviremental issues.
And how many more billions are we talking now?
Quote from: iBallasticwolf2 on August 13, 2015, 10:45:06 AMThis is one of the few situations where it might be better to not build the road and instead improve existing roads.
Yeah. Make 47 four lanes each way from 55-347 and 347-83.
This should have been brought up right after sandy. If they wanted to make the biggest case for it, they should have done it then.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on August 14, 2015, 11:00:00 PM
This should have been brought up right after sandy. If they wanted to make the biggest case for it, they should have done it then.
Sandy struck in October and people had plenty of notice. The storm really impacted NJ well north of this area. And all the attention was given to the shore resorts that saw entire roads washed out. The roads were permitted to be rebuilt on an as-was basis...NJDOT wasn't allowed to quickly make a 4 lane roadway where a 2 lane road was previously located, for example.
Since the Cumberland and Cape May County areas were largely unaffected traffic-wise, there would've been no point to bring up Route 55 then. It didn't prohibit anyone from evacuating or otherwise avoiding the storm, and any talk would've been lost with the bigger problems the state faced at the time.
Sandy is a great example of why we need a better route to the southern shore area and now would probably be a better time to talk about it. I just don't expect much discussion to continue beyond what was already said, other than mentioning things that are already in the works, such as more VMSs & cameras.
Perhaps there should be new ideas like instead of car travel, why not water travel through plants as was previously proposed by these guys?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJ5zcxLC.jpg&hash=7db42c97adad33f46beeaf2f919001d5f748c837)
Quote from: Mr. Matté on August 15, 2015, 08:26:28 AM
Perhaps there should be new ideas like instead of car travel, why not water travel through plants as was previously proposed by these guys?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJ5zcxLC.jpg&hash=7db42c97adad33f46beeaf2f919001d5f748c837)
You know what would be interesting? A train that could carry cars on it.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 15, 2015, 07:58:51 AM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on August 14, 2015, 11:00:00 PM
This should have been brought up right after sandy. If they wanted to make the biggest case for it, they should have done it then.
Sandy struck in October and people had plenty of notice. The storm really impacted NJ well north of this area. And all the attention was given to the shore resorts that saw entire roads washed out. The roads were permitted to be rebuilt on an as-was basis...NJDOT wasn't allowed to quickly make a 4 lane roadway where a 2 lane road was previously located, for example.
Since the Cumberland and Cape May County areas were largely unaffected traffic-wise, there would've been no point to bring up Route 55 then. It didn't prohibit anyone from evacuating or otherwise avoiding the storm, and any talk would've been lost with the bigger problems the state faced at the time.
Sandy is a great example of why we need a better route to the southern shore area and now would probably be a better time to talk about it. I just don't expect much discussion to continue beyond what was already said, other than mentioning things that are already in the works, such as more VMSs & cameras.
I was just saying that if they wanted to push for it, they could have piggybacked on an event like that. "this time we got out safely, but what if we need to do it faster?"
The only way i see it going forward is as an elevated expressway, or route it a little bit north, branch it off somewhere else and have it go along the NJ50 route.
It'll still be going thru the Pinelands though.
The long-proposed route goes thru the least amount of developed land, but there's a park down there that people like apparently.
What's ironic about the headline is that this route actually goes nowhere near Cape May, but closer to the Sea Isle City area. The lawmakers probably aren't even aware of that little fact.
This is a pipe dream that will never be implemented. In fact, like Connecticut, I doubt New Jersey will ever build a new freeway again.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 17, 2015, 03:05:55 PM
This is a pipe dream that will never be implemented. In fact, like Connecticut, I doubt New Jersey will ever build a new freeway again.
Don't forget that NJ-133 was completed as recently as 1999 and in its final form in 2006. Of course the scale of that project was a bit smaller...
Quote from: bzakharin on August 17, 2015, 05:13:54 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 17, 2015, 03:05:55 PM
This is a pipe dream that will never be implemented. In fact, like Connecticut, I doubt New Jersey will ever build a new freeway again.
Don't forget that NJ-133 was completed as recently as 1999 and in its final form in 2006. Of course the scale of that project was a bit smaller...
or that 18 is being extended north, for that matter.
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 17, 2015, 03:25:56 PM
Try extending it over NJ 47 and US 9 - that ends it in Atlantic City.
...what?
noelbotevera doesn't know what he's talking about.
Quote from: J Route Z on August 17, 2015, 08:17:09 PM
noelbotevera doesn't know what he's talking about.
noelbotevera.exe has stopped working
noelbotevera.exe remembers
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Quote from: noelbotevera on August 17, 2015, 08:57:02 PM
Quote from: J Route Z on August 17, 2015, 08:17:09 PM
noelbotevera doesn't know what he's talking about.
noelbotevera.exe has stopped working
noelbotevera.exe remembers
.exe deletes post
I am surprised NE 2 had not chimed in yet with his "what."
Quote from: roadman65 on August 17, 2015, 11:19:35 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 17, 2015, 08:57:02 PM
Quote from: J Route Z on August 17, 2015, 08:17:09 PM
noelbotevera doesn't know what he's talking about.
noelbotevera.exe has stopped working
noelbotevera.exe remembers
.exe deletes post
I am surprised NE 2 had not chimed in yet with his "what."
The paralyzing shock has to wear off first.
What's interesting is that the mile markers (and exit numbers) along NJ 55 still give a hint of a southern extension despite such not becoming reality anytime soon. The starting mile marker at the NJ 47 intersection is MM 20.
Quote from: PHLBOS on August 18, 2015, 11:05:19 AM
What's interesting is that the mile markers (and exit numbers) along NJ 55 still give a hint of a southern extension despite such not becoming reality anytime soon. The starting mile marker at the NJ 47 intersection is MM 20.
I'd assume it's pointless to confuse everybody and waste money by shifting mile markers and exit numbers for no reason. A similar situation exists at the southern terminus of NJ 18 which will probably never get extended either.
Quote from: DJStephens on August 30, 2015, 05:22:50 PM
Transpiration?? or Transportation? Believe transpiration is the process by which plants "breathe" or release waste moisture and oxygen. Anyhow, tens or even hundreds of millions could be spent to move a relative handful of people with transit "options" in a less than densely populated area. Has anyone asked Gov. Chris Christie what he thinks of the possibility? Or Snookie, for that matter?
Whatever hole you crawled out of that made you decide NJ is anything like Jersey Shore, go back into the hole and please stop transpiring (releasing waste) at us.
Quote from: Mr. Matté on August 15, 2015, 08:26:28 AM
Perhaps there should be new ideas like instead of car travel, why not water travel through plants as was previously proposed by these guys?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJ5zcxLC.jpg&hash=7db42c97adad33f46beeaf2f919001d5f748c837)
Two things:
1. The idiots at nj.com need to hire a spell checker.
2. The powers that be in New Jersey don't give a damn about any part of the state south of 195, especially NJ Transit.
Honestly, nearly every news site out there needs a spell checker. Or grammar checker. Or just a once-thru proofread.
And hey, we have the Riverline. What more do you want?? LOL