N.J. Turnpike/I-295/N.J. Route 42/Atlantic City Expwy

[SignBridge]

Why is there no interchange between the NJT and Route 42? You would think they would want to make it easier for people coming north on the Turnpike from Delaware to go to the Atlantic City Expwy. Instead they have to go to Exit-3 and follow Route 168 to Route 42 to the ACE. Kind of antiquated.

Ditto for I-295/Route-42. There is that weird double interchange between those 2 roads, but you can't travel from I-295 North to Rt.42 East and the same in reverse. Again, you have to use Route-168. And again you would think NJDOT would want to encourage travelling in that direction.

Last month when I drove thru there, I did see construction on I-295 in that area. Does anyone know exactly what's being done? Are they maybe building the ramps in question that should have been part of the original design?

And while we're talking about the 295/42 "double interchange", does anyone know why that odd configuration was built in the first place? Did 295 end at Rt. 42 at one time? And maybe was later extended using land that was available without destroying neighborhoods? 

[NJRoadfan]

Missing ramps between I-295 and NJ-42 are planned, they will be built eventually. The mess at NJ-42/I-295/I-76 was ROW related, there are plans to fix that too: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/studies/rt295/

As for a NJ-42/NJTP interchange, the highways cross in the middle of a large marsh. Any interchange there would require extensive filling of that marsh, not going to happen.

[acdcrocks12]

I agree with this

[SteveG1988]

Improving the connection between 168 and 42 would make it almost a decent connector. as it stands it is pretty sub standard, requiring routing around a industrial complex. Also having two exits that close kind of goes against the reason the NJTP exists, with NJ42 and 168 being right next to each other, that would introduce a bit of weaving on the 2-2 section of the NJTP.

[mtantillo]

If you need to go east, just use I-295 instead of the turnpike.  It will be all fixed once the missing ramps are built (in the meantime, just go one exit west on I-76 and turn around there).  No need for a turnpike interchange though, IMO.