The massive Direct Connection project in Bellmawr continues to take shape, and my latest video takes a deeper look at one very specific—but important—piece of the $1 billion-plus highway reconstruction effort: the future Route 42 North to I-295 North flyover ramp.
The overall Direct Connection project is designed to straighten I-295 through Bellmawr and allow interstate traffic to maintain highway speeds through an interchange that also connects with Route 42 and I-76.
YouTube Video linked at the bottom of article!
Three significant elevated roadways are currently being developed over the Browning Road Bridge area, and this update focuses primarily on the extended flyover ramp that will eventually carry Route 42 North traffic onto I-295 North.
And there are some interesting changes coming that drivers may not realize.
Route 42 North: Today’s “Roller Coaster” Ramp Is Temporary
If you’re traveling Route 42 North from Deptford, Washington Township or other points south and heading toward I-295 North, today you exit to the right onto what I jokingly describe as a “roller coaster” roadway.
Drivers curve sharply up and to the right, drop back down toward the left, and then climb again before entering the large tunnel beneath the new I-295 roadway.
What many commuters probably don’t realize is that this entire traffic movement is temporary.
NJDOT constructed this roadway specifically to carry traffic for several years while other major portions of the Direct Connection project were developed.
Eventually, Route 42 North traffic heading to I-295 North will still move off to the right, but instead of climbing onto today’s temporary roadway, drivers will travel beneath the existing overpass and connect with what NJDOT identifies as Ramp A.
I’ve been calling it the “Dukes of Hazzard Ramp” because for years it appeared to simply launch into the air and stop!
Ramp A is now being extended into a long elevated roadway that rises over the Browning Road bridge before merging with the elevated I-295 North roadway near the Bellmawr Cemetery (the massive retaining wall section known as Wall 22).
When that new ramp opens, today’s roller-coaster-style temporary roadway can be completely removed, with additional changes expected for the sound barrier configuration in that area.
The Tunnel Changes Again
Opening the new Route 42-to-I-295 flyover also creates another important change farther north.
Today, five lanes travel through the large tunnel beneath the elevated I-295 roadway, but those lanes actually originate from two different highway movements: I-76 East traffic heading toward I-295 and Route 42 North traffic heading toward I-295 North.
Once Route 42 traffic moves onto the new overhead Ramp A flyover, it will no longer need to travel through the tunnel.
That will leave only two lanes of I-76 East traffic using this surprisingly wide structure.
Those two lanes are expected to be shifted toward the center of the tunnel, allowing shoulders to be added on both sides—a significant improvement for safety and disabled vehicles in the tunnel.
But there’s another important reason for that traffic shift.
One More Piece of I-295 North Needs to Be Finished
On the north side of the tunnel, the new elevated I-295 North roadway comes back down toward the existing interstate—but that connection isn’t completely built yet.
You can clearly see this in my recent images and video.
Some asphalt has been installed along the center divider, but the roadway abruptly ends before reaching its final width.
The reason appears to be construction sequencing.
With five active lanes currently exiting the tunnel immediately alongside this unfinished section, crews simply don’t have enough room to complete the retaining wall and three northbound I-295 lanes and shoulders for the new overhead highway.
Once Route 42 traffic is moved onto the new flyover, the remaining I-76 lanes inside the tunnel can be shifted toward the center.
That creates the construction space needed alongside the tunnel to finish the final I-295 North roadway connection.
The Route 42North flyover is designed for two lanes of traffic but NJDOT has stated initially it will support just one lane. I need to verify this with the media team, but my assumption is they have accounted for the need to do additional construction as the Route 295 North ramp moves down to the existing road level and the one lane can safely move past as work proceeds on the roadway and tunnel lanes.
It’s an interesting example of just how complicated the Direct Connection project really is. NJDOT hasn’t simply been building the final highways—they’ve also had to construct temporary highways, ramps and traffic patterns capable of carrying tens of thousands of vehicles for years while the permanent roadways are built around them.
And yes, if all of that sounds confusing in written form, the accompanying YouTube video does a much better job of showing exactly how these pieces fit together!
YouTube: Direct Connection Route 42 North to 295 North
Links and Location
Direct Connection – Route 295 Bellmawr
