New Jersey Turnpike

[jeffandnicole]

The current construction project with 295/76 only addresses the deficient, existing movements.  The actual missing moves are from 295 - 42, and that project won't begin construction until at least 2016 (and that project has been pushed back so many times that 2017/2018 seems likely).

I-295 to I-195 provides the all-freeway routing to the NJ Turnpike.  Depending on time-of-day, 295 to 73 to the NJ Turnpike involves only one traffic light, and you can often catch the green light at that.

[Roadrunner75]

Of the many reasons why people stopped going to Atlantic City, the less-than 3 mile detour one must take to go from the Turnpike to Rt. 42 (please, please, please, stop suggesting it's going to be I-76) has never come up.  Since this direction would impact those from Delaware, Maryland and points south, ever since both those states got casinos/racinos, it started drying up the market from down there.

I'd definitely like the connection, but it ain't on anyone's horizon anytime soon.

Yes, I realize I'm probably the 200th person on the forum who has proposed 76 to AC**.  But we all know NJDOT takes it cues for where to spend its limited budget from reading internet forums, so it's likely to happen.

The US 322 freeway proposal that periodically floats around would also allow a direct connection from the Turnpike to the ACX.  We know that is likely to happen as well.

**Alps set me up for this with the 42 rerouting and I couldn't help it.

[vdeane]

The current construction project with 295/76 only addresses the deficient, existing movements.  The actual missing moves are from 295 - 42, and that project won't begin construction until at least 2016 (and that project has been pushed back so many times that 2017/2018 seems likely).

I-295 to I-195 provides the all-freeway routing to the NJ Turnpike.  Depending on time-of-day, 295 to 73 to the NJ Turnpike involves only one traffic light, and you can often catch the green light at that.

I-295 to I-195 is out of the way though, as I-295 veers left north of the Turnpike extension.  Plus, the extension will be I-95 in the future, and thus one of the few places where two interstates cross but have no interchange.

[Zeffy]

Of the many reasons why people stopped going to Atlantic City, the less-than 3 mile detour one must take to go from the Turnpike to Rt. 42 (please, please, please, stop suggesting it's going to be I-76) has never come up.

It doesn't help either that venturing too far from the boardwalk area (just like The Strip in Las Vegas) isn't a great idea, especially at night...

Honestly, if you're coming from the Turnpike, the best bet is to take 73 all the way to US 30 or the Atlantic City Expressway if AC is your destination. It's not that terribly inconvenient, as others have pointed out. I don't expect to see a connection between the N/S Freeway and the Turnpike anytime soon or even in the next 35 years.

[jeffandnicole]

The current construction project with 295/76 only addresses the deficient, existing movements.  The actual missing moves are from 295 - 42, and that project won't begin construction until at least 2016 (and that project has been pushed back so many times that 2017/2018 seems likely).

I-295 to I-195 provides the all-freeway routing to the NJ Turnpike.  Depending on time-of-day, 295 to 73 to the NJ Turnpike involves only one traffic light, and you can often catch the green light at that.

I-295 to I-195 is out of the way though, as I-295 veers left north of the Turnpike extension.  Plus, the extension will be I-95 in the future, and thus one of the few places where two interstates cross but have no interchange.

It appears more out of the way than it really is.

The extra distance one must travel comes to only 3 1/4 miles.  If you were to include the various ramps that would need to be constructed to access the NJ Turnpike's PA Extension from 295, the distance saved would amount to about 2 1/2 miles...and that's to maintain a freeway-freeway option. 

Depending on the point where one needs to go, the distance on 73 between the Turnpike and 295 is about 1/2 mile (and 1 traffic light), via 168 it's about 3/4 mile (and 3 or 4 traffic lights).  Further north, the distance between 295's Exit 56 & NJ Turnpike's Exit 7 is under a mile and 2 traffic lights.

From a cost standpoint, it would be senseless to build such a connection, with so many other options available. 

[Alps]

Of the many reasons why people stopped going to Atlantic City, the less-than 3 mile detour one must take to go from the Turnpike to Rt. 42 (please, please, please, stop suggesting it's going to be I-76) has never come up.

It doesn't help either that venturing too far from the boardwalk area (just like The Strip in Las Vegas) isn't a great idea, especially at night...

Honestly, if you're coming from the Turnpike, the best bet is to take 73 all the way to US 30 or the Atlantic City Expressway if AC is your destination. It's not that terribly inconvenient, as others have pointed out. I don't expect to see a connection between the N/S Freeway and the Turnpike anytime soon or even in the next 35 years.

Yes, this - take NJ 73 from the north, take US 40 or 322 from the south. The real utility to an "Exit 2A" would be for local traffic that's getting stuffed on 168 - "local" including Philadelphia, which right now faces all that mess or the equal mess along NJ 38/70 getting to US 30.

[odditude]

is 73 any better than it used to be with the construction through the Marlton and Berlin circles? i used to dread the traffic on 73 anytime I'd go down to Ocean City after work.

as for a proposed exit 53 on 295... that's one of the signage illustrations i've done that I'll eventually post on that board...

exits would be [South 95 to (276 PA Tpk) - Philadelphia] and [(95 NJ Tpk) North - New York (hbar) NJ Tpk South - Wilmington] - signage on the 95 North exit to match the new signage on the extension approaching Exit 6 from the west.

presumably electronic tolling only to help get around the space issues.

maybe a sign on the eastbound approach indicating mileage and current travel times to the common exits, with "local traffic use 295 South / express traffic use NJ Tpk South" recommendation signage.

pipe dreams.

[Zeffy]

All of this talk about an interchange with 295 and the Turnpike made me make this...



Feel free to improve on it in any way you see fit. I am aware that my distances may be way too small for realism, but that's why I said improve it if you wish. This was a joint effort between Merkaartor, Inkscape and GIMP. Ignore the fact the highway seems to disappear at the right edge of the screen - that was just me being a bit lazy. I assumed people would guess where the tollbooths were (this is the Turnpike we are talking about after all!).

EDIT: Just noticed one of the ramp goes THROUGH I-295.. ugh. Too lazy to fix...

[Alps]

All of this talk about an interchange with 295 and the Turnpike made me make this...



Feel free to improve on it in any way you see fit. I am aware that my distances may be way too small for realism, but that's why I said improve it if you wish. This was a joint effort between Merkaartor, Inkscape and GIMP. Ignore the fact the highway seems to disappear at the right edge of the screen - that was just me being a bit lazy. I assumed people would guess where the tollbooths were (this is the Turnpike we are talking about after all!).

EDIT: Just noticed one of the ramp goes THROUGH I-295.. ugh. Too lazy to fix...

In addition to the loops getting smaller as you head north, to the point of unreality, you also have terrible weaving issues between the two sides of the interchange. Ideally, you want all your offramps to happen before all your onramps.

Also, please change the color. The ramps on the right look vaguelyextremely phallic.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I know it's been 20+ years but I used to cut over from the NJTP to 295 using the US 206 ramps and found it super easy.

[Zeffy]

In addition to the loops getting smaller as you head north, to the point of unreality, you also have terrible weaving issues between the two sides of the interchange. Ideally, you want all your offramps to happen before all your onramps.

Also, please change the color. The ramps on the right look vaguelyextremely phallic.

Thanks to Alps' comments, I made a new version of the interchange, where I more or less converted the phallic looking ramp configuration to a trumpet.



I think I made it more realistic, but I also probably made the weaving issue much worse.

[hbelkins]

Turn that rightmost trumpet the other way and you'd solve the weaving problem.

Either that, or build a C/D road.

[02 Park Ave]

It has been reported that the expansion of the Turnpike will be completed by Thanksgiving Day and the Turnpike will be fully operational for the holiday traffic.

[Roadrunner75]

Thanks to Alps' comments, I made a new version of the interchange, where I more or less converted the phallic looking ramp configuration to a trumpet.
I think I made it more realistic, but I also probably made the weaving issue much worse.

Any reason for the two sets of double trumpets?  195/Turnpike (and many other interchanges) accommodate a toll booth with just one double trumpet.  The only advantage I can see is that you eliminate a weave before/after the tollbooths since only one direction of 276 or 295 exits to each tollbooth area (assuming you are placing the tollbooths between the trumpets in the traditional fashion, and not separating them out onto the ramps themselves such that might work as an EZ-Pass/ORT only interchange).  Otherwise, save some real estate with a standard double trumpet, eliminate the weaves on the mainlines and let people cut each other off at the toll plaza area as usual.

I know it's been 20+ years but I used to cut over from the NJTP to 295 using the US 206 ramps and found it super easy.

Me too.  I did exactly that almost 20 years ago going between Rutgers and home in South Jersey when 295 used to temporarily end at 130 before they punched it through to 195.  I would squeeze as much free freeway as I could before jumping over to the Turnpike, and many times would just stay on 130 all the way up to New Brunswick.  The various cross-over points between the Turnpike and 295 actually work just fine - especially at 206 and 73 - but yes like all the other road nuts the connectivity OCD demands an interchange that will never happen.

[Zeffy]

Speaking of the 195/Turnpike interchange, does anyone know when they removed one of the the loop ramps and instead made a bridge instead?

[Roadrunner75]

Speaking of the 195/Turnpike interchange, does anyone know when they removed one of the the loop ramps and instead made a bridge instead?

The new bridge has been there for a few years, although not open to traffic for that long.  The Turnpike's widening website shows at least the bridge in place over 195 in 2011.  Some clearing and the piers at 195 were there for a long while before they got moving on the rest of the ramp and its distance from the Turnpike mainline had me thinking then that they were putting in a new overpass for some other purpose before it became obvious they were eliminating the trumpet configuration on that end.

[Alps]

In addition to the loops getting smaller as you head north, to the point of unreality, you also have terrible weaving issues between the two sides of the interchange. Ideally, you want all your offramps to happen before all your onramps.

Also, please change the color. The ramps on the right look vaguelyextremely phallic.

Thanks to Alps' comments, I made a new version of the interchange, where I more or less converted the phallic looking ramp configuration to a trumpet.



I think I made it more realistic, but I also probably made the weaving issue much worse.

Easy way to eliminate weaving on I-276: The first entrance ramp folds along the outside of the trumpet and THEN merges in.
The other weaves are still there and still a potential issue, but a lot more manageable distance. You could always stick those on a C-D road. Or, same concept - put your exit ramp first, fold it around the outside of the loop ramp, then back along I-295 before it loops off.

[SteveG1988]

Honestly, if traffic is an issue, the best 295 to turnpike connection is at exit 47, County Route 541, it has a few more lights, but a lot of lanes between 295 and the turnpike (narrowing to 4 each way before the turnpike) and was recently repaved. It is right before 295 sweeps west.

[NJRoadfan]

A full interchange isn't warranted at the Turnpike extension and I-295. You just need a loop ramp from NJTP West (South) to I-295 South, and a slip ramp from I-295 north to NJTP East (North). Ramp plazas could be used, or it could be E-ZPass only.

[02 Park Ave]

The I-295 is currently a circumferential highway as it connects with its I-95 parent south of Wilmington and north of Trenton.  When the I-95 is transferred to the Turnpikes, it would no longer have a northern connexion to its parent highway.  If a connextion is not made, shouldn't it be redesignated with an odd number first digit as it would then be a spur highway?

If the connexion is made, what could be the designation of the present I-295 north of the Turnpike?

[1995hoo]

"The I-295"? 

[Roadrunner75]

A full interchange isn't warranted at the Turnpike extension and I-295. You just need a loop ramp from NJTP West (South) to I-295 South, and a slip ramp from I-295 north to NJTP East (North). Ramp plazas could be used, or it could be E-ZPass only.

Agreed that a full interchange isn't really warranted, and the above serves the purpose of allowing an easy connection to hop between the two for N-S traffic.  However, it might also be useful for a partial interchange to allow traffic from 295 to access the PA Turnpike, to allow more local traffic better access to the bridge, similar to what they finally did at the 130 interchange a short distance west along the extension.

I don't think the Turnpike Authority wants to make it any easier to avoid tolls by providing better access to 295 from the Turnpike mainline, so the direct bridge access might be more palatable to them.

[Alps]

"The I-295"? 

"connexion?" It's English, but it's not American.

[Mergingtraffic]

Anybody know what's going on at interchange 10, the ramps to I-287/NJ-440 and CR-514 just after the toll plaza?  I see jersey barriers and grading. 

[Roadrunner75]

Anybody know what's going on at interchange 10, the ramps to I-287/NJ-440 and CR-514 just after the toll plaza?  I see jersey barriers and grading. 

There's a little paragraph about this here:
http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/our-projects.html
And a little more info in this RFP here:
https://www.bidx.com/njta/attachment?_id=5195372033b403ea2400010a