Office of the Governor

Codey announces Turnpike expansion plan

Separation of "car-only" and "car-truck" lanes will be extended 20.1 miles, to cure congestion

(CHERRY HILL) – Acting Governor Richard J. Codey today announced he has directed the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to immediately begin engineering and design work for a major expansion of the Turnpike through Middlesex, Mercer and Burlington Counties.

The Acting Governor made the announcement during his speech today at a "State of the Region" event organized by the Greater Philadelphia Regional Chamber of Commerce and its CEO Council for Growth, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey and the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce.

Acting Governor Codey’s plan will extend the separation of "car-only" and "car-truck" lanes from where they currently end near Exit 8A in Middlesex County, south to Exit 6 in Burlington County. That is a 20.1-mile stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike.

It is one of the busiest and most congested sections of the Turnpike, with 120,000 drivers a day in both directions.

"Currently, the 'car-only' and ‘car-truck’ lanes on the Turnpike merge in a traffic nightmare within a few miles of exit 8A in Burlington County. Anyone who has traveled the Turnpike through the middle of New Jersey knows this treacherous merge. It is one of the worst traffic spots in the State," Acting Governor Codey said. 

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s consulting engineers, Wilbur Smith Associates, have determined this section of the Turnpike is already experiencing unacceptable service levels. The area near Exit 8 has experienced failure traffic levels during morning and evening rush hours. Failure traffic conditions are expected to extend all the way down to Interchange 6 by the year 2011.

"If we don’t act, over the next several years traffic growth in New Jersey, combined with a planned project in Pennsylvania to add a full-access interchange between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the New Jersey Turnpike, will cause virtual gridlock," Acting Governor Codey said.

After the announcement Philip K. Beachem, president of New Jersey Alliance for Action, praised Acting Governor Codey’s plan, saying, "This is a positive step toward a long-needed improvement and I applaud Acting Governor Codey for beginning this initiative."

The New Jersey Turnpike plan’s engineering and design work, including an Environmental Impact Statement, is expected to take 18 months. Completion of the project is expected to take seven to 10 years.