Project Needs & Benefits | Regional Impacts | Proposed Improvements


Typical Existing & Proposed Mainline Cross-Section

The existing six-lane facility is proposed to become a dual-dual 12-lane facility by adding two new roadways of three lanes each. The widening will generally occur by adding new outer lanes along each side of the existing Turnpike, thereby continuing the dual-dual roadway concept that exists along Turnpike segments to the north. The new outer lanes will serve automobile and commercial traffic, while the inner lanes will serve automobile traffic exclusively.

The proposed dual-dual roadway will begin at a point approximately two miles south of Interchange 6 and will connect with the outer roadways of the existing dual-dual roadway south of Interchange 8A. Each three-lane roadway will also include a 12-foot wide right shoulder and a 5-foot wide left shoulder in accordance with the Authority's design requirements.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS AT INTERCHANGE 6

The Pearl Harbor Memorial Turnpike Extension (PHMTE) is a six-lane east-west roadway that connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Delaware River to the west. The PHMTE terminates at the Turnpike Mainline at Milepost 51.00 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, with two-lane, high-speed ramp connections to and from the north, and one-lane, lower-speed ramp connections to and from the south. The ramp connections from the south to the PHMTE and from the PHMTE to the north pass over the Turnpike mainline. The widening of the Turnpike through this area will result in the dual-dual roadway section extending approximately two miles south of the PHMTE and mainline Turnpike interconnection. The proposed design of this interconnection provides for two-lane ramp connections to and from the north and single lane ramp connections to and from the south, for both the inner and outer roadways. These ramp connections will be elevated and cross over the various roadways.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS AT INTERCHANGE 7

Interchange 7 is located at Milepost 53.7 in Bordentown Township, Burlington County, approximately 4,000 feet north of the Turnpike crossing of U.S. Route 206. This interchange provides a connection between the Turnpike and Route 206, and currently includes a 12-lane toll plaza located between the trumpet interchanges along the Turnpike and Route 206. The toll plaza and Turnpike interchange ramps were relocated in 1990. The design of the interchange ramps was developed at that time to accommodate the future dualization of the Turnpike with minimal disruption to existing ramps and roadways and to avoid impacts that the future dualization would have on the PSE&G electric transmission facilities present at this interchange. As part of the proposed Project, the Turnpike Mainline would be widened with new three-lane outer roadways constructed through the Interchange 7 area. Although no change in the number of toll lanes at the Interchange 7 toll plaza is proposed, new ramps connecting the proposed outer roadways to the toll plaza would be required, along with minor modifications to the existing ramps. There would be twelve new mainline bridges, four in each direction within the Interchange area, as well as bridges over Route 206, Blacks Creek, Bordentown-Georgetown Road, and a new maintenance u-turn overpass near Milepost 53.3.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS AT INTERCHANGE 7A

Interchange 7A is located near Milepost 60.5 in Hamilton and Washington Townships, Mercer County, and connects Route I-195 with the New Jersey Turnpike. The Route I-195 eastbound and westbound roadways pass over the Turnpike on separate bridge structures. The existing Turnpike toll plaza is situated in the southwest quadrant of the intersecting roadways, and has ten toll lanes; some of which serve as reversible lanes. In order to accommodate the projected increase in traffic volumes utilizing the Turnpike, the toll plaza must be widened from ten lanes to 13 lanes. The proposed interchange consists of trumpet interchange ramp connections to the dual-dual Turnpike roadways with two lane ramp connections to and from the north. The Interchange 7A trumpet interchange ramp connection with Route I-195 must each be widened to two lanes to accomodate the design year 2032 traffic volumes. North of Interchange 7A, the Turnpike is presently designated as Interstate Route I-95. Subsequent to the completion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-95 Interchange Project, discussed in the “Project Description,” the Turnpike will be designated as Interstate Route I-95 south of Interchange 7A to the PHMTE interconnection and along the PHMTE to the Delaware River Bridge.

PROPOSED RELOCATION OF INTERCHANGE 8

The Interchange 8 toll plaza is located on the southbound side of the Turnpike at Milepost 67.6 in East Windsor Township, Mercer County. The existing interchange is a standard trumpet design providing access to and from the five-lane toll plaza, the Turnpike mainline, and N.J. Route 33. The existing toll plaza is situated in relative close proximity to the Turnpike Mainline, N.J. Route 33 and the Turnpike's Central Shops maintenance yard. The existing configuration of the toll plaza does not meet current Turnpike toll plaza configuration requirements. The proposed improvements in this location will require a new 12-lane toll plaza, modified access to the Central Shops maintenance area, and modified Turnpike ramps. The existing Turnpike interchange with N.J. Route 33 is also in close proximity to the center of Hightstown, thereby causing traffic destined to and from the Turnpike with origins west of Hightstown to travel through the downtown Hightstown area. In the 1990s, the NJDOT completed construction of N.J. Route 133, to circumvent the Hightstown downtown area. The Authority proposes to relocate the Interchange 8 toll plaza to the east side of the Turnpike and connect the interchange ramps directly with N.J. Route 133 by grade separating the existing N.J. Routes 33/133 signalized intersection. The Authority is still studying a number of alternatives for the these improvements.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS AT INTERCHANGE 8A

The proposed improvement at Interchange 8A will consist of adding a southbound entry ramp connection from the toll plaza to the southbound inner roadway of the existing dual-dual Turnpike.