I-95/PA Turnpike Affecting Routes?

[jwolfer]

Actually, paying cash, it's (only) 70 cents cheaper to take the whole NJTP than to go via exit 6.

Northbound, however, you save $2.05 by going through Philadelphia.

You had the first part backwards...it's only 70 cents cheaper to take Exit 6 than the entire NJTP.

You're right going Northbound there is a slight bit more difference.  Or, motorists can save even more by taking the parallel 295, which for the past 50 years they haven't done, so they're not going to start anytime soon!

My dad is so cheap growing up we never took the Turnpike.. On the way to Florida from Pt Pleasant Beach we took Route 70 to 295, until 195 was completed.

Going to Newark airport he would sometimes take Route 34 to 1/9. Instead of the GSP.

[NE2]

Going to Newark airport he would sometimes take Route 34 to 1/9. Instead of the GSP.

Why not hop on the Parkway in Perth Amboy and exit at 22?

[jwolfer]

Going to Newark airport he would sometimes take Route 34 to 1/9. Instead of the GSP.

Why not hop on the Parkway in Perth Amboy and exit at 22?

That would have worked too.. My dad is a creature of habit.. He always went 1&9

[PHLBOS]

Or, motorists can save even more by taking the parallel 295, which for the past 50 years they haven't done, so they're not going to start anytime soon!

50 years???? 

Most of I-295, particularly the stretches north of I-76/NJ 42, was built from the 70s through the 90s with the final piece between Exits 57 and 60 (I-195/NJ 29) completed circa 1994.

[Roadrunner75]

My dad is so cheap growing up we never took the Turnpike.. On the way to Florida from Pt Pleasant Beach we took Route 70 to 295, until 195 was completed.

We always stayed off the Turnpike unless absolutely necessary as well (and I still use 70 over 195 most of the time).  Every time I decided to give the Turnpike from 195 or 73 down to the Delaware Memorial another chance, I always get stuck in some jam (even after the new Express EZ-Pass went in).  I stick with 295 just to have an escape route.

[jwolfer]

My dad is so cheap growing up we never took the Turnpike.. On the way to Florida from Pt Pleasant Beach we took Route 70 to 295, until 195 was completed.

We always stayed off the Turnpike unless absolutely necessary as well (and I still use 70 over 195 most of the time).  Every time I decided to give the Turnpike from 195 or 73 down to the Delaware Memorial another chance, I always get stuck in some jam (even after the new Express EZ-Pass went in).  I stick with 295 just to have an escape route.

The turnpike exits are so far apart there is less escape routes. 

I notice that around holidays like thanksgiving it's better to take us17 instead of i95 in Georgia many times

[jeffandnicole]

Or, motorists can save even more by taking the parallel 295, which for the past 50 years they haven't done, so they're not going to start anytime soon!

50 years???? 

Most of I-295, particularly the stretches north of I-76/NJ 42, was built from the 70s through the 90s with the final piece between Exits 57 and 60 (I-195/NJ 29) completed circa 1994.

I-295 between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and NJ 38 was fully built no later than 1968.  By the early 1970's, 295 was completed to US 130 in Bordentown, which completes the parallel portion.  (So over 40 years, although a good portion was 50 years old or older) Sections east and north of Trenton were completed in the early 80's, but they wouldn't be relevant to bypassing the NJ Turnpike.  The small 3 mile portion between 130 and 195 was completed in 1994, but for anyone bypassing the Turnpike, they could take Exit 56 in the early 70's to Interchange 7, or take 130 to 195 to use Interchange 7A.

It can be compared to I-95's completion, which didn't occur until the 1980's anyway in PA.  Travelers were quite used to getting on and off Interstate routes and using parallel US routes.  In fact, even ignoring the whole Somerset freeway portion of 95, 295 was mainly completed before 95 thru the city which it was supposed to bypass.

[jwolfer]

I was always surprised people from where I grew up on the Jersey shore used the Turnpike instead of 295 when driving South.

When I was real young 195 ended at exit 21(CR 527) so it made more sense to take route 70 straight shot to 295.

Oh and the overlap with 130 was not interstednits 295 then

[PHLBOS]

It's worth noting that due to the high amount of traffic (plus some truck stops along US 206) using Exit 56 (I-295)/Exit 7(NJ Turnpike); Interchange 7 had to be expanded during the late 80s/early 90s.  One has to wonder had I-295 from the south been built to I-195 earlier than it was; would such an expansion been needed?

While those heading north from the Delaware Valley/Philly area used I-295, even during the time it was still fragmented; those coming from the north (and unfamiliar with the area) likely exited the NJ Turnpike further south at either Exit 4 (NJ 73) or 3 (NJ 168) if their destination was indeed South Jersey or Greater Philly.  NJTA's deliberate act of not erecting any signs directing motorists to I-295 (until after one cleared the toll plazas) didn't do southbound motorists any favors either.

[NJRoadfan]

Exit 7 still has a ton of truck traffic even after I-195 was built. They even built a new connector roadway and widened Rising Sun Rd. around 2003 or so.

[PHLBOS]

Exit 7 still has a ton of truck traffic even after I-195 was built. They even built a new connector roadway and widened Rising Sun Rd. around 2003 or so.

I mentioned such briefly before... much of that likely has to do with the various truck stops & services that have popped up in that area since the 80s.  Had the I-195/295 interchange been built in the 70s; would those services near Exit 7 even come to fruition?

Area circa 1971

Area circa 1995

Area circa 2013 (latest available)

[Roadrunner75]

I-295 between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and NJ 38 was fully built no later than 1968.  By the early 1970's, 295 was completed to US 130 in Bordentown, which completes the parallel portion.  (So over 40 years, although a good portion was 50 years old or older) Sections east and north of Trenton were completed in the early 80's, but they wouldn't be relevant to bypassing the NJ Turnpike.  The small 3 mile portion between 130 and 195 was completed in 1994, but for anyone bypassing the Turnpike, they could take Exit 56 in the early 70's to Interchange 7, or take 130 to 195 to use Interchange 7A.

Do you recall the short freeway gap in 295 in West Deptford that lasted until maybe the mid 80s?  From the Hessian Ave. overpass (just south of exit 23) to just north of exit 21 there were driveways and if I recall correctly unnumbered ramps off to Route 44 SB and to Crown Point Road NB on each side of the Woodbury Creek (before they later reconstructed the bridge and constructed the service roads).

[jeffandnicole]

I-295 between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and NJ 38 was fully built no later than 1968.  By the early 1970's, 295 was completed to US 130 in Bordentown, which completes the parallel portion.  (So over 40 years, although a good portion was 50 years old or older) Sections east and north of Trenton were completed in the early 80's, but they wouldn't be relevant to bypassing the NJ Turnpike.  The small 3 mile portion between 130 and 195 was completed in 1994, but for anyone bypassing the Turnpike, they could take Exit 56 in the early 70's to Interchange 7, or take 130 to 195 to use Interchange 7A.

Do you recall the short freeway gap in 295 in West Deptford that lasted until maybe the mid 80s?  From the Hessian Ave. overpass (just south of exit 23) to just north of exit 21 there were driveways and if I recall correctly unnumbered ramps off to Route 44 SB and to Crown Point Road NB on each side of the Woodbury Creek (before they later reconstructed the bridge and constructed the service roads).

Yep - remember it very well.  The issue was that it was originally US 130, and was co-designated as I-295.  The entrances and driveways remained though for a while after the I-designation.  The companies were pissed that they were losing their direct access to the highway!

It's one of the few stretches of highways where you'll find something resembling frontage roads in NJ.

[bzakharin]

It's one of the few stretches of highways where you'll find something resembling frontage roads in NJ.

Really?
I-280 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7684239,-74.226773,17z
GS Parkway https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7860377,-74.1987107,16z
NJ 495 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7704356,-74.03033,17z
NJ 24 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7333955,-74.3468658,16z
NJ 18 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4924944,-74.4376949,17z

[jeffandnicole]

It's one of the few stretches of highways where you'll find something resembling frontage roads in NJ.

Really?
I-280 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7684239,-74.226773,17z
GS Parkway https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7860377,-74.1987107,16z
NJ 495 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7704356,-74.03033,17z
NJ 24 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7333955,-74.3468658,16z
NJ 18 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4924944,-74.4376949,17z

Yep - those links shows about 10 highway miles in frontage roads in total.  Compared to other states, that's quite minimal!