Major I-295 reconstruction project completed
on budget and ahead of schedule
12 miles of safe and smooth rebuilt roadway benefits motorists

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner James Simpson today announced the substantial completion of a roadway reconstruction project along Interstate 295, an important commuter corridor linking central and southern New Jersey.

The $85 million project transformed a dilapidated 12-mile stretch of the heavily-traveled divided highway into a safe and smooth corridor between Westampton and Bordentown townships. Work started in the spring and was accelerated to ensure that all road surfaces were rebuilt prior to the onset of winter and hazardous weather-related driving conditions.

“This project benefits tens of thousands of New Jersey residents every day and exemplifies NJDOT’s commitment to safety and state-of-good-repair investments,” Commissioner Simpson said. “Under Governor Christie’s leadership, NJDOT will continue to prioritize projects to ensure that we make the best use of limited resources as we renew and rebuild our network of roads and bridges that serve as the circulatory system of our economy.”

More than 87,000 motorists who travel on the roadway each day now have full use of all three travel lanes in each direction. Landscaping, installation of several remaining sections of median guiderail and installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) will be completed in the spring.

The project was accelerated in June, which restricted roadway capacity to two lanes in each direction and required several traffic shifts and interchange detours. The benefit, however, is that normal traffic flow and full capacity have been restored nine months earlier than originally anticipated.

Another subtle benefit that can help extend the life of a roadway is that the traffic shifts allowed contractors to pave all southbound lanes at once, eliminating the asphalt joint that is created when traffic lanes are paved at different times.

The reconstruction of the freeway involved a process of reducing the old concrete roadway to rubble, which was left in place to serve as the sub-base for the new asphalt roadway.

The reconstruction was carried out from Interchange 45/ Rancocas-Mount Holly Road (County Route 626) in Westampton to Interchange 57/ Route 130 in Bordentown Township and includes repairs to 12 bridge decks and numerous acceleration and deceleration lane upgrades. Construction was performed by a joint venture of InterCounty Paving Associates of Hackettstown and Haines and Kibblehouse Inc. of Bellmawr.

Other I-295 improvements

NJDOT is also reconstructing eight miles of I-295 in Barrington, Bellmawr, Cherry Hill, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Lawnside and Tavistock in Camden County and West Deptford and Westville in Gloucester County. Workers will replace five bridge decks within the project limits. Completion of the $73 million project is scheduled for summer 2012.

NJDOT recently completed a $5.5 million concrete repair and resurfacing project on nearly eight miles of I-295 northbound from south of Route 130 in Pennsville Township to just south of Pedricktown-Woodstown Road in Oldman’s Township, Salem County.

NJDOT completed a $90 million, 12-mile reconstruction and paving project from Woodbury to Logan Township in 2008.