Black Horse Pike upgrade to send a message; what officials hope it says about township

WASHINGTON TWP. — Highways deliver a lot of things, from people to packages, but township officials want a pending, major upgrade along Black Horse Pike to also deliver a message.

Possibly as soon as April, under the New Jersey Department of Transportation, a roughly $72.6 million construction project will start along the Pike. The “Route 42, Kennedy Avenue to Atlantic City Expressway Pavement Preservation Project” will last about three years.

When it’s done, Washington Mayor Laurie Burns says, she expects a new “visual presence,” in addition to better traffic flow and safety for drivers as well as the people from nearby neighborhoods who take risks walking across or along the Pike.

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DOT project needs to make Black Horse Pike look special

“Washington Township’s a town you come into … off of Route 42 right onto the Black Horse Pike,” Burns said. “So, we want a visual presence. So, we asked for decorative lighting … to line the Black Horse Pike all the way down.

“Because I think it all runs together, honestly,” Burns said. “Because if we can make that an easy drive through, and more accessible to the businesses — and a great looking appearance, more businesses are going to want to come and fill those spots that are empty. It’s going to be like a drawing point for people.”

The work zone will run from the exit of Route 42, along the Pike, crossing Washington Township into Monroe Township. The high volume, about 30,000 vehicles a day with surges, short or non-existent turning lanes, and limited purpose traffic signals makes portions of it especially congested and dangerous.

Washington Township will see the bulk of the work done, as originally planned. Final design work started in spring 2018 and construction was to have started in spring 2021.

The work checklist includes new and better contoured road surfaces, added and improved turning lanes, added or upgrade electronic devices including cameras, and new storm water basins in trouble spots.

Council President Anthony DellaPia expects new curbs on both sides for the length of the Pike. “There’s a lot of areas missing curbs,” he said.

“They’re working on the entry and exit points of each shopping center,” DellaPia added. “The DOT’s been very strict on trying to limit the traffic buildups coming in and out of those shopping centers.”

DellaPia said quite a few shopping centers here are empty and the general state of the highway is one reason. “We think this project will, kind of, rejuvenate the area and encourage new people to come in and fill those vacant spots,” he said.

Still, he said, residents should be the bigger winners than centers. “Having the traffic flow a little better, having it look nicer, and then hopefully getting some new businesses that they can patronize visually,” DellaPia said.

Black Horse Pike rebuild scope, cost grew to fit Monroe, DEP

NJDOT spokeswoman Lizzy Galamba said the project originally was to cover several miles just inside Washington and at a lower cost of about $57.3 million.

Then, Monroe came forward with similar issues and the project grew to include Berlin-Crosskeys Road and Kennedy Avenue intersections.

Monroe Administrator James Hart said the Berlin-Crosskeys and Pike intersection is his township’s focus.

“(It) runs by the Home Depot, runs by Sam’s Club, goes into Gloucester Township down by the Expressway,” Dehart said. “So, that is really the area we needed some relief. There’s only the one turn lane on the Pike at Berlin-Crosskeys Road. The traffic is just horrendous there.

“So, we wanted some relief there by widening the road, adding some lanes, maybe some more turn arrows, or different schematics for the turn arrows to be able to handle the traffic volume that has come up since basically all the booming in that area,” Dehart said.

Galamba said the project cost also increased significantly because new N.J. Department of Environmental Protection regulations required adding three storm water basins. Material cost inflation related to the COVID pandemic also is a reason.

The project zone has 10 signalized intersections: Washington Plaza; Greentree Road; Whitman Drive; Ganttown Road; Johnson Road; Fries Mill Road; Watson Drive; Tuckahoe Road; Berlin-Cross Keys Road; and Kennedy Avenue.

All intersections are getting adaptive signal equipment, for more efficient timing; curbs and sidewalks that are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant; and upgraded drainage pipes and inlets.

Additionally, the left turn lane at the Johnson Road intersection will be lengthened. And second left turn lanes are going in, in both directions, at the Berlin-Cross Keys Road intersection.

Galamba said the zone takes in approximately 4 miles between Kennedy Avenue (mile post 2.09) in Monroe and Atlantic City Expressway/Black Horse Pike/Route 168 (mile post 6.35) in Washington.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have throughts on a road improvement project? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Washington looks to better image with Black Horse Pike $76.2M reboot