Temporary safety fixes at Route 47 intersection to stay for a while; here’s where and why

Joseph P. Smith, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Updated ·3 min read

WASHINGTON TWP. — Temporary fixes to a dangerous intersection here will stay in place until next year.

Last fall, the state Department of Transportation installed oversized stop signs, warning signs, electronic message board, rumble strips and pavement markers at the intersection of Salina Road and Delsea Drive.

Now, the state says it will prioritize traffic-safety improvements there, with work starting in 2025.

Washington Township has been asking for help with the intersection for more than four years. Local police say the crossing is one of the more dangerous, recording 15 motor vehicle accidents in 2023 although no deaths.

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“We’ve been in constant contact with them regarding a short-term plan and long-term intersection improvements,” police Chief Patrick Gurcsik said of conversations with the state. “It’s critically important for the township’s public safety."

Township Council Vice President Peter Del Borrello III said the intersection has been studied and found eligible for traffic lights. Officials had hoped that work would’ve already been under way.

Del Borrello said the ongoing risk of injury and death justifies the expense. “I think they said it was going to cost in the range of $250,000 for a light,” he said.

Washington Township considers the Salina Road-Delsea Drive intersection a serious danger and says the posted signs and flash warnings are inadequate. PHOTO: Feb. 5, 2024.
Washington Township considers the Salina Road-Delsea Drive intersection a serious danger and says the posted signs and flash warnings are inadequate. PHOTO: Feb. 5, 2024.

NJDOT spokeswoman Liz Galamba said the intersection will be dealt with as part of its “Route 47, Grove Street to Route 130” project, which will run across two counties. The cost will be $75 million to $100 million using federal funds.

Galamba said a contract is expected to be awarded this summer with work starting next year.

A New Jersey Department of Transportation map for its pending, as of February 2024, Route 47, Grove Street to Route 30 improvement project. The $75-100 million project includes the Salina Road-Rt. 47 intersection. in Washington Twp.
A New Jersey Department of Transportation map for its pending, as of February 2024, Route 47, Grove Street to Route 30 improvement project. The $75-100 million project includes the Salina Road-Rt. 47 intersection. in Washington Twp.

The Salina intersection is a problem for several reasons, starting with the heavy traffic on Route 47 at a point where there is one lane in either direction.

Right hand turns from either side of Salina Road onto Route 47 are manageable but crossing the highway or turning left across lanes are risky moves. Salina Road also is easy to overlook unless you know it is there.

“I think it’s just (drivers) are trying to determine how fast somebody is coming down Delsea Drive, trying to determine what several other drivers are doing,” Del Borrello said. “And that just doesn’t work.”

One of two Variable Message Signs devices the N.J. Department of Transportation installed along Route 47 at approaches to ameliorate the accident rate at the Salina Road intersection in Washington Township. PHOTO: Feb. 12, 2024.
One of two Variable Message Signs devices the N.J. Department of Transportation installed along Route 47 at approaches to ameliorate the accident rate at the Salina Road intersection in Washington Township. PHOTO: Feb. 12, 2024.

Del Borrello said the township even considered dead ending Salina Road to divert its traffic to nearby Sewell Road, an intersection with traffic lights.

Gurcsik said the NJDOT had advised him in 2019 the project was in its final design stage and to expect a contract award in 2021. The intersection also was to be a priority, he said.

“They haven’t given me any updates as to what the delays are,” he said. “They told me they needed to secure right-of-way permits and have that finalized with the New Jersey DEP. And that they were communicating and coordinating all the utilities work that would be done.”

Galamba said a 2021 contract award was put off because it was taking longer than expected to obtain permits, including ones from the state Department of environmental Protection. Another reason was the addition of several more safety features, she said.

Galamba said about 12 miles of Route 47 will be milled and paved between Glassboro at Grove Road, mile post 62.17, and Brooklawn at Route 130, mile post 75.2.

The project also will see all guiderails replaced, curbs and sidewalks repaired, and drainage systems upgraded. The Route 47 culvert over Woodbury Creek also will be repaired.

In addition, Galamba explained, all 17 intersections with traffic signal will be upgraded as well as lighting at pedestrian crossings, and Route 47 will be widened at Brenner Avenue and Fox Run Road.

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 a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Danger warnings staying at Rout 47-Salina Road crossing