While some final work remains on the Route 42 Blackwood Trail Bridge replacement project, last night all Southbound traffic was routed back to it’s final path on the newly constructed roadway. Today all traffic (North and Southbound) rides on newly developed raised earth road surfaces.
Previously this raised section of Route 42 was supported by two large/tall steel bridges. The bridges were originally designed many decades ago to allow train traffic to pass underneath the Route 42 roadway.
UPDATE: The lanes still need to be shifted over, after the center concrete is removed. Then everything will be repaved and the longer dedicated deceleration lane to Black Horse Pike will be lined.
With the train track no longer in use (and in fact the tracks had previously been removed and the path converted into an asphalt paved fitness trail for walkers and bicyclists), the New Jersey Department of Transportation decided to fully remove the steel bridge structures and replace them with a raised earth supported roadway.
Considering a significant portion of bridge infrastructure in the United States is aging, every State Transportation Authority as well as the Federal government are concerned about the safety and maintenance of these older structures… And are focusing on upgrading, replacing, or when they can… completely removing the older structures.
For the “Route 42 Over Blackwood Trail” bridge removal project, the $21.3 million State funded effort started in early 2022 and is expected to be fully completed before the end of this year.
The new project provides for a wider roadway surface including shoulders and upgraded auxiliary lanes. A new center grass median will separate the North and Southbound roadways.
Some of the remaining roadwork is likely related to that center median. To support traffic movement while they removed the older bridges and rebuilt them with the raised-earth roadways, a temporary set of center lanes were created. My understanding is that the center asphalt will be removed and be replaced with grass. Additionally the tunnel will be painted (and graffiti covered over)
Tunnel? Gloucester Township Health and Fitness Trail
The former railroad tracks under Route 42 were first installed back in 1891! You can read more about that in my first article on the project.
While the train tracks are no longer in place, the State did recognize the value of the Health and Fitness Trail which had been developed in the space of the former tracks… so the new project included a significantly large tunnel underneath Route 42 allowing walkers and bicyclists to still continue to use the full trail length.
You can read more about the trail at TrailLink.. but I may be back soon to film a video on the trail. Here is my Facebook Livestream from 2016 where you can what it was like passing under Route 42 before the tunnel!
NJDOT engineers worked with PSE&G (electrical utility) and local Emergency Management Teams on the tunnel design, and it was decided that the tunnel should also support authorized large trucks to pass through the tunnel under certain circumstances such as emergency needs or maintenance and management of the overhead high voltage lines.
This led to a tunnel that has a minimum vertical clearance of 17 feet and a horizontal clearance of 22 feet.
So I know everyone’s wondering… is the tunnel open?
While I would say I don’t believe it’s officially open (and I’m not sure what makes it officially open) but in my visit this morning there were no barriers in place, and as I stood there taking photos and even filming a short video clip, probably 10 people walked through the tunnel including two bicyclists.
The tunnel looks fully constructed as a solid concrete arch structure.
Inside several security cameras can be seen in place as well as some piping for utilities passing through. I would imagine the cameras are connected to the Gloucester Township Police Department.
The entire width of the tunnel floor is asphalt paved, with storm water crates installed in strategic locations.
And yes, local graffiti artists have already they made their mark on a large portion of the walls.
