New Jersey Turnpike

[roadman]

HAR/TIS (travelers information station) broadcasts are widely used by the National Park Service to provide information about their parks and sites.

[RobbieL2415]

It's still used on the Thruway (and I think a few other places in NY too) as well.

HAR is widely used in CT (I see it all the time on I-84), but we don't have 511.

You can get real-time traffic stats on ConnDOTs website.

[NJRoadfan]

Someone listened. The control city for the NJTP at GSP Exit 129 south has been changed from Camden to Philadelphia.

[roadman65]

Did they change the post 11 plaza guide to match?  According to GSV it has Trenton for the NB guide follow up.

[NJRoadfan]

Nope, still says Trenton there.

[PHLBOS]

Someone listened. The control city for the NJTP at GSP Exit 129 south has been changed from Camden to Philadelphia.

Must've been a fairly recent change.  Those signs still read Camden as of last December.

Did they change the post 11 plaza guide to match?  According to GSV it has Trenton for the NB guide follow up.

Nope, still says Trenton there.

As does the sign beyond the Turnpike toll plaza.
_____________________________

In the past, I would post the below sign observations/updates in the I-95/PA Turnpike interchange thread but since such involves strictly the NJ Turnpike; I'll post it here:

As of yesterday (March 7); the southbound pull-through signs at Exit 8A still haven't yet been either modified with nor replaced with ones having I-95 shields.

The first of the dual I-95/NJTP shield reassurance markers north of Exit 6 (northbound outer lanes) is still missing.

[storm2k]

Turnpike Authority has published a Public Notice for toll adjustments on both the Turnpike and Parkway. Includes a list of capital projects for 2020.

Highlights are:
- Upgrading the rest of the barrel signs, I am assuming to the newer hybrid barrel/VMS signs developed for the 6-9 widening.
- Widening projects at Exit 13 (the lane drops there always cause issues), at 16W, and on the western spur in general
- Widening the southern stretch from 1-4, I assume to 3 lanes each way.
- Some kind of mainline high speed crossover (I assume to allow you to go from the outer to inner roadways and vice versa at some point around 8A or so?)
- AET conversions, although I've heard that they plan to keep the ticket system and cash payments on the Turnpike.
- A new exit 19W which will have flat rate tolls. Other than converting the Sports Complex exit from a part time only open when there's a football game to an actual full time exit (albeit I assume maintaining its NB on SB off configuration similar to 17 on the eastern spur), is there really any other candidate for a new exit up there before the northern mixing bowl?

[jeffandnicole]

A huge miss for my area and South Jersey in general: No interchange between the Turnpike and NJ 42.  That is probably by far the most requested wish-list item for the Turnpike in my neck of the woods. A widened turnpike will be fine, but when there's a 15 minute delay exiting at Interchange 3 because the exiting plaza is only 3 lanes wide and NJ 168 is only 1 lane in each direction, we won't be able to make use of those extra lanes on the Turnpike.  Anyone coming up from Delaware and points South, and heading down from North Jersey and points North, will benefit from those additional lanes.  But us locals will rarely benefit from those extra lanes.

[vdeane]

- A new exit 19W which will have flat rate tolls. Other than converting the Sports Complex exit from a part time only open when there's a football game to an actual full time exit (albeit I assume maintaining its NB on SB off configuration similar to 17 on the eastern spur), is there really any other candidate for a new exit up there before the northern mixing bowl?

FYI, exit 19W is already a thing.

[storm2k]

A huge miss for my area and South Jersey in general: No interchange between the Turnpike and NJ 42.  That is probably by far the most requested wish-list item for the Turnpike in my neck of the woods. A widened turnpike will be fine, but when there's a 15 minute delay exiting at Interchange 3 because the exiting plaza is only 3 lanes wide and NJ 168 is only 1 lane in each direction, we won't be able to make use of those extra lanes on the Turnpike.  Anyone coming up from Delaware and points South, and heading down from North Jersey and points North, will benefit from those additional lanes.  But us locals will rarely benefit from those extra lanes.

It's going to take a miracle to get that. Major land takings, a lot of environmental things to work out. It might still happen one day, but the Authority sure doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make it so. And given that the southern half of the Turnpike is mostly a long haul road at that point and the backlog of work that's needed is pretty high (especially bridge work), it might be half past never that we see the mythical exit 2A for 42/76/direct connection to Philly that's been missing since the Turnpike was built.

[storm2k]

- A new exit 19W which will have flat rate tolls. Other than converting the Sports Complex exit from a part time only open when there's a football game to an actual full time exit (albeit I assume maintaining its NB on SB off configuration similar to 17 on the eastern spur), is there really any other candidate for a new exit up there before the northern mixing bowl?

Haven't been thru there in a while. Did not realize that they already converted that exit into a full time thing. Makes sense with the extra traffic that American Dream is likely to bring to the area.
FYI, exit 19W is already a thing.

[jeffandnicole]

A huge miss for my area and South Jersey in general: No interchange between the Turnpike and NJ 42.  That is probably by far the most requested wish-list item for the Turnpike in my neck of the woods. A widened turnpike will be fine, but when there's a 15 minute delay exiting at Interchange 3 because the exiting plaza is only 3 lanes wide and NJ 168 is only 1 lane in each direction, we won't be able to make use of those extra lanes on the Turnpike.  Anyone coming up from Delaware and points South, and heading down from North Jersey and points North, will benefit from those additional lanes.  But us locals will rarely benefit from those extra lanes.

It's going to take a miracle to get that. Major land takings, a lot of environmental things to work out. It might still happen one day, but the Authority sure doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make it so. And given that the southern half of the Turnpike is mostly a long haul road at that point and the backlog of work that's needed is pretty high (especially bridge work), it might be half past never that we see the mythical exit 2A for 42/76/direct connection to Philly that's been missing since the Turnpike was built.

Kinda the chicken-egg thing there.  It's a long-haul route because there's not a satisfactory number of interchanges to serve the area!  Add in an interchange or 2, and suddenly it becomes more usable for the area.  But any other area where the Turnpike crosses local roads, there's generally just enough development in the area that'll create issues for those living nearby, and I can pretty much bet there's not a single town in the Gloucester County area that would be anxious in being on the receiving end of a new interchange.

The "2A" is often talked about, but as you point out, there's a lot of issues in building it.  But when you look at the list of projects to be funded, especially large-scale bridge projects, the impact of wetlands is more significant than many realize for those projects as well.

That all said, a lot of people want an interchange with 42.  Of course, if one were to be proposed, we will only hear from those opposed to it!

[Beltway]

It's going to take a miracle to get that. Major land takings, a lot of environmental things to work out.

A great amount of bridgework could obviate filling in wetlands, but that could get very expensive, like $200 to $300 million to build the interchange.

It might still happen one day, but the Authority sure doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make it so. And given that the southern half of the Turnpike is mostly a long haul road at that point and the backlog of work that's needed is pretty high (especially bridge work), it might be half past never that we see the mythical exit 2A for 42/76/direct connection to Philly that's been missing since the Turnpike was built.

I think they should at least commission an EIS/location study to evaluate a range of alternatives, to see how such an interchange might be built.

[jeffandnicole]

It's going to take a miracle to get that. Major land takings, a lot of environmental things to work out.

A great amount of bridgework could obviate filling in wetlands, but that could get very expensive, like $200 to $300 million to build the interchange.

Oh, it would easily be a $500mm to $1 bn interchange.

For comparison: 2 ramps between 295 and 42 over dry land, rebuilding one overpass and widening one bridge on 295 over a stream is gonna cost $180 million.

[Beltway]

A great amount of bridgework could obviate filling in wetlands, but that could get very expensive, like $200 to $300 million to build the interchange.

Oh, it would easily be a $500mm to $1 bn interchange.
For comparison: 2 ramps between 295 and 42 over dry land, rebuilding one overpass and widening one bridge on 295 over a stream is gonna cost $180 million.

I wasn't necessarily recommending a full interchange, at least to start.

First priority -- connect southerly Turnpike to southerly NJ-42.
Second priority -- connect northerly Turnpike to northerly NJ-42.

[BrianP]

It's going to take a miracle to get that. Major land takings, a lot of environmental things to work out.

A great amount of bridgework could obviate filling in wetlands, but that could get very expensive, like $200 to $300 million to build the interchange.

Oh, it would easily be a $500mm to $1 bn interchange.

For comparison: 2 ramps between 295 and 42 over dry land, rebuilding one overpass and widening one bridge on 295 over a stream is gonna cost $180 million.

Which is why any back of napkin cost/benefit analysis will be way in the red.  So there's no reason to take it any further. 

[jeffandnicole]

A great amount of bridgework could obviate filling in wetlands, but that could get very expensive, like $200 to $300 million to build the interchange.

Oh, it would easily be a $500mm to $1 bn interchange.
For comparison: 2 ramps between 295 and 42 over dry land, rebuilding one overpass and widening one bridge on 295 over a stream is gonna cost $180 million.

I wasn't necessarily recommending a full interchange, at least to start.

First priority -- connect southerly Turnpike to southerly NJ-42.
Second priority -- connect northerly Turnpike to northerly NJ-42.

No.

Full interchange only.

[bzakharin]

A great amount of bridgework could obviate filling in wetlands, but that could get very expensive, like $200 to $300 million to build the interchange.

Oh, it would easily be a $500mm to $1 bn interchange.
For comparison: 2 ramps between 295 and 42 over dry land, rebuilding one overpass and widening one bridge on 295 over a stream is gonna cost $180 million.

I wasn't necessarily recommending a full interchange, at least to start.

First priority -- connect southerly Turnpike to southerly NJ-42.
Second priority -- connect northerly Turnpike to northerly NJ-42.

Northbound traffic has the option of using I-295. If there were a reasonable all-freeway connection from the southbound Turnpike to I-295 at any point north of NJ 42 then the need of a southbound connection to 42/76 would be greatly reduced as well.

[SignBridge]

Although there is no direct freeway connection from the southbound NJT to 295, you can switch over at Exit-4 with reasonable utility. I've done it several times.

[jeffandnicole]

There's always alternatives. But that doesn't dictate how a real toll agency (sorry PTC) builds an interchange between 2 major highways.

Besides...part of the toll increase will go to fund completing full interchanges on the Parkway. They wouldn't go back and do a partial interchange on the Turnpike.

[Beltway]

I wasn't necessarily recommending a full interchange, at least to start.
First priority -- connect southerly Turnpike to southerly NJ-42.
Second priority -- connect northerly Turnpike to northerly NJ-42.

No.  Full interchange only.

If it is too expensive to build the entire interchange at once, why not prioritize the most important movements and build them?

Again, this needs an NEPA EIS/location study to evaluate all feasible alternatives.

[Alps]

I wasn't necessarily recommending a full interchange, at least to start.
First priority -- connect southerly Turnpike to southerly NJ-42.
Second priority -- connect northerly Turnpike to northerly NJ-42.

No.  Full interchange only.

If it is too expensive to build the entire interchange at once, why not prioritize the most important movements and build them?

Again, this needs an NEPA EIS/location study to evaluate all feasible alternatives.

It doesn't need one. There is no interest in disturbing that many wetlands for this particular connection, so we're in the realm of fantasy at this point.

[Beltway]

If it is too expensive to build the entire interchange at once, why not prioritize the most important movements and build them?  Again, this needs an NEPA EIS/location study to evaluate all feasible alternatives.

It doesn't need one. There is no interest in disturbing that many wetlands for this particular connection, so we're in the realm of fantasy at this point.

Like I said, bridge over the wetlands to avoid filling them; at least conduct an official study to evaluate the feasibility.

Now if they ever complete the interchange at I-295 and NJ-42, that could handle these movements.

[jeffandnicole]

If it is too expensive to build the entire interchange at once, why not prioritize the most important movements and build them?  Again, this needs an NEPA EIS/location study to evaluate all feasible alternatives.

It doesn't need one. There is no interest in disturbing that many wetlands for this particular connection, so we're in the realm of fantasy at this point.

Like I said, bridge over the wetlands to avoid filling them; at least conduct an official study to evaluate the feasibility.

Now if they ever complete the interchange at I-295 and NJ-42, that could handle these movements.

Hopefully by 2024/2025 that entire interchange, with full movements, will be finished.

[Beltway]

Now if they ever complete the interchange at I-295 and NJ-42, that could handle these movements.

Hopefully by 2024/2025 that entire interchange, with full movements, will be finished.

I see that the I-295/I-76/Route 42 Direct Connection project will be completed in 2025.
https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/roads/rt295/contracts.shtm

According to this article the Missing Moves Project was just awarded at $180 million.
https://www.42freeway.com/bellmawr-missing-moves-project-awarded-starts-spring-2020-180-million-project-to-connect-42n-to-295s-and-back-aerial-video/
. . . . . . . . . . .

It would still be much more effective to have a connection between the Turnpike and NJ-42 freeway, rather than have to slog thru all those miles of a local freeway with closely spaced interchanges.