What are they building along Rt 42 in Bellmawr? A lot of digging and ramps going up?! It is the Missing Moves project which is to filling in the missing connections between Rt 42 and Rt 295… “Why can’t I get on 2955 South towards Delaware?” Well soon you will be able to. They are moving fast and this is not the whole story! More to come!
VIDEO AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!
This project was just awarded 6 months ago and already there is significant progress across a mile of Bellmawr!
We’re adding some details here in writing, but it’s best to check out the video below. Mark goes to approximately 6 locations to tell the story as it currently stands… starting from Rt 42, heading to the Benigno Blvd shifted entrance, over to Coolidge ave near the Curaleaf medical marihuana facility, and then two locations on Creek Rd. We said it was sprawling!
And I didn’t even tell the whole story! More details to come in later videos!
Many have be befuddled by the fact that can’t easy get from Route 42 to 295 in certain directions…. Driving north on rt 42 from Gloucester Township and you want to head to National Park? Well you can’t drive from 42 directly to 295s! And if you live in West Deptford and want to head to Atlantic City, you can’t go 295n to 42s!
Well this project fixes that!
We are all familiar with the massive other Bellmawr project, Direct Connection that has been taking place for several years… well this is ANOTHER project! This is a separate $180 million dollar project.
I’ll mostly talk about this from that 42n perspective…
42 North to 295 South
Driving up Route 42 North there is a lot of construction taking place on the right side. Cars who will be going to 295 south, will veer to the right and go up a ramp!
The ramp will then curve left and go over Route 42 and cross over the other side close to the point where cars today enter from Harding Ave to 42s.
Benigno Boulevard Realignment at Leaf Ave
This project will also be changing the local streets in the Industrial Park area. Currently where Benigno meets up with Leaf Ave and the Sunoco, it forms a T. A very complex T intersection as in very close proximity there is Rt 42 moving traffic in and out, Leaf Ave, Wellwood Ave and Edgewood Ave around the Sunoco and Wawa.. and of course Benigno! It’s too confusing to write out… maybe just watch the video
Oh but the improvement is, the end of Benigno at leaf is being bent to be in alignment with Edgewoood… which is the street that hast the new traffic light next to Wawa on Creek.
This new alignment will provide better traffic flow, is it moves Benigno further way from the oddly setup Rt 42 entrance area, and cars coming in and out of Benigno will move straight.
Landfill Side of Rt 42
As mentioned the bridge crosses over 42 in the area of the Harding/Leaf 42 South Entrance. The main road off of Creek Rd here is Harding Ave, and at that intersection
The roadway never actually gets close to the landfill… it moves along somewhat in parallel towards Creek Rd close to Bellmawr’s famous “Lawnmower Parts” store.
If you’ve noticed, there has been a large opening on that Creek Rd side between the Lawnmower Parts store and the larger building close to “Dead Man’s Curve”. Well that opening was allocated for this new missing moves elevated roadway to cross over Creek Rd, as it heads over 295!
So again, those Northbound rt 42 cars wanting to go 295 south, will follow along this roadway, cross over 295 and then turn to align with 295 South.
The roadway will angle back down and merge with Rt 295 South before the Creek Road bridge (Creek Road has a sharp bend, which is how this new Missing Moves roadway will cross Creek Rd twice.
The Creek Road bridge is being replaced as part of this project.
295 North to 42 South
The cars coming the other direction… 295 North wanting to go to 42 south, for the most part travel the same path but don’t have a need to cross over the main highways, considering how they are positioned.
From 295 North the roadway will offer an exit to the right, just past the Creek Road bridge.
Past the building, the cars will travel up the roadway and Cross Creek road in that opening and head towards the edge of the landfill.
At the other end the road gentle comes down and connects with 42 South.
Check out the video as I move through all of the locations!
More videos and posts to come!