Construction has begun on a new Super Wawa with gas pumps in Upper Pittsgrove at the Pole Tavern Circle. The project will eventually require demolition of the existing legacy Wawa store.
For now, the classic Wawa at the property remains open. However, when asked, employees are telling customers that the old store is expected to close sometime in early spring. This means there will be no Wawa at the circle for several months while construction then continued on.
Last month we wrote about a Winslow Cross Keys Road Wawa going through the same process. That store is expected to close in a few weeks.
42Freeway first wrote about the then-proposed plans for this Salem County Wawa upgrade nearly two years ago, when the project was moving through the Upper Pittsgrove Land Use Board.
The property is located at the intersection of Route 40 and Route 77, where a classic Wawa has operated for decades, positioned somewhat closer to the circle.
It’s an interesting location for a Super Wawa in that you would expect a new multi-million dollar store to be developed in higher population areas. If you look at Google Street View maps and draw a three-mile radius around the store, roughly 95% of the surrounding area is farmland.
That said, this is a busy circle and intersection that sees significant traffic, and based on Facebook comments on prior coverage, many locals are interested in having additional gas options in the area. And likely.. Wawa is fully intent on spending the money on strategic moves to block out any future competition.
As seen in recent imagery, workers have already fully cleared the rear extended portion of the property to make room for the much larger Wawa store and gas station pumps. The new 5,915-square-foot Wawa convenience store building will be located further back on the property, behind the existing store. The gas pumps will be placed in front of the new building, roughly in the space where the legacy Wawa currently sits.
The recently opened Wawa in Pennsville was the first to feature Wawa’s newer, more modern store design. While it hasn’t been officially confirmed what design will be used in Upper Pittsgrove, the square footage is an exact match to the Pennsville location. This strongly suggests that Upper Pittsgrove will also receive the updated modern design, though we’ll need to wait for confirmation (which I may reach out to Wawa for).
Many locals have pointed out in prior coverage that the existing legacy store was fully remodeled about 12 years ago, though it retained the smaller footprint of the original store style. That remodel did include some interior design elements similar to a Super Wawa; however, the current Upper Pittsgrove location does not offer public restrooms.
Plans previously obtained by 42Freeway show Wawa entrances from both Route 40 and Route 77, each located further away from the circle to better manage traffic flow in and out of the parking areas, and help keep traffic from backing up at the circle as cars try to move into and out of Wawa.
The layout will also result in the core area where the existing legacy store sits being mostly converted to grass, with the new parking lot beginning along the rear line of the current building.
The project also includes a large water management basin in the rear of the property, and the new Wawa will require a septic system.
While it might seem possible to build much of the new store while keeping the old one open longer, the extensive site changes make that difficult. Multiple 42Freeway readers have reached out this week saying the store has told them about a spring closure. When I stopped by myself, I was told they are targeting March 31 as the final day the legacy store will be open.
Links and Location
Super Wawa – Planned
759 US-40
Elmer, NJ 08318
