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SPONSORED LISTINGS
Major South Jersey Roads
- by one_bad_refrigerator
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- February 28, 2009
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As most drivers notice when the stumble into my home state, New Jersey is a series of poorly maintained, poorly planned, roadways occupied my maniacal motorists who have little regard for life (particularly yours). Being one of those nut-jobs who merges on a whim and then flips you off, I feel it's my duty to inform outsiders about our road systems. You see, all roads aren't equal. Some are far more suicidal to transit than others. Even the best highway in Jersey still isn't all that great. Also, there's a bias towards roads from coming from Camden County. I defend this by stating that most traffic in South Jersey is centered around Camden County and Atlantic City. So if your next vacation takes you through the southern part of the "Garden State," or you're unfortunate enough to have an actual destination within its borders, this guide is your key to salvation. I'll give you the lowdown on which roads rank higher than others by rating them with the classic 1 to 5 scale, and throw some pros and cons your way, just because I'm a nice guy. You'll notice I don't give any road a 5 of 5, because these roads generally are terrible.
The New Jersey Turnpike (2 / 5)
Ah, New Jersey’s well known primary roadway. While actually an extension of the famed Interstate-95, in Jersey you have to pay to drive on it, what a deal! However, being a toll road, the eternally broke state of NJ actually has money to maintain it; so you won’t be encountering pot-holes the size of elephants on the Turnpike.
The Jersey Turnpike runs you all the way from Philly to New York without having to stop and breathe the caustic New Jersey air, so it gets points for cutting to the chase. But be warned, its exits aren’t numbered by the mile. So if you think that exit 4 and exit 7 are only three miles away, you clearly don’t understand Jersey Turnpike math.
Unfortunately, Jersey’s most famous road is also heavily trafficked. On a weekday, forget about getting anywhere on time. This thing backs up like you wouldn’t believe. As soon as you hit exits 7 & 8, which is about when you get north of Trenton, it will slow to a crawl. God-forbid you need to go all the way to New York; if so, cancel your plans if you took the Turnpike, because you aren’t making that fancy dinner reservation. But another warning, if there isn’t traffic, people like to drive in the 80 mph range. If you’re a Sunday driver from the back hills of Georgia, that might be a little too much to handle.
Pros: Well maintained, Very fast
Cons: Toll road, Extremely heavy traffic
US 130 (2 / 5)
Rt. 130 is the Turnpike’s nephew. It follows the same path as both the Turnpike and I-295, starting at the Delaware Memorial Bridge and ending in New Brunswick. It manages to go farther north than I-295, but doesn’t make it all the way to New York like the Turnpike. You may be saying, “well great, I’ll just take that;” unfortunately, its clogged with traffic lights.
In most high-traffic areas, Rt. 130 sports three lanes. It was built very well and can handle a lot of motorists at once, which is good because its usually very busy. Even being busy, the flow of traffic moves at a reasonable rate for a road dotted with traffic lights.
Another problem is that Rt. 130 is old and worn. While it’s not in terrible shape, there are stretches that are clearly in need of some repairs. Combine that with the traffic and stop-lights, and you can end up with a relatively slow journey upstate.
Pros: Built for traffic
Cons: Traffic lights, Moderate traffic
US 9 (3/ 5)
Route 9 is to the Parkway what Route 130 is to the Turnpike, but they make a far more functional family. Route 9 succeeds in making it just as far as its parent road, the Parkway. Additionally, it takes a more direct route while it does it. Heck, the Parkway is probably a little jealous of just how successful its offspring is.
Unfortunately, Route 9 has traffic lights; a lot of traffic lights. And while it manages to have relatively light traffic, it still gets bogged down during rush hour. As a short hop between towns along the shore, its perfect, but for any significant distance you’ll want to use the Parkway.
On the up side, since far less vehicles are traveling along the coast, Route 9 is a lot less worn than its western counterparts. Generally the road is smooth and hasn’t had too many of the “touch-ups” that make for an uneven roadway.
Pros: Light traffic, Alternative to Parkway
Cons: Many traffic lights
Atlantic City Expressway & NJ 42 (4 / 5)
New Jersey’s famous Atlantic City Expressway has a slight problem, it doesn’t go all the way to Philadelphia, or even Camden for that matter. Technically, the road goes from Blackwood to Atlantic City. “Well how do I get to Blackwood?” people ask. You take Rt. 42. So for simplicity’s sake, I’ve combined Rt. 42 and the AC Expressway into a single entry.
Rt. 42 is a highway that connects the Walt Whitman Bridge/I-76, Philly’s infamous Schuylkill Expressway (as hard to spell as it is to drive on), to the AC Expressway. It does its job well. Rt. 42 is generally fast moving and well maintained. Although, it has about as many merges as other Jersey highways and some can require merging two lanes to the right, so out-of-state drivers need to be alert about where their lane is headed.
Eventually the Expressway begins and Rt. 42 veers off to the right and becomes the Black Horse Pike for some distance. The Expressway itself is a toll road, which is its biggest downfall. Luckily, that means it’s maintained by its tolls and is generally in very good shape. It needs to be in good shape, because it’s incredibly fast-paced. It isn’t uncommon to see people passing you in the left lane doing 80 mph.
The biggest problem the Expressway suffers from is that it’s a straight roadway. This road is the poster child for highway hypnosis, making it dangerous when combined with its speed. Occasionally you’ll even see a series of signs planted every quarter mile or so that spell out a phrase, the idea being that if you’re reading you’re not asleep. It’s not a road for amateurs. I’ve even avoided this road countless times at night in poor weather, just to be safe.
Pros: Direct route to AC, Well maintained
Cons: Toll road, Highway hypnosis, Not for Sunday drivers
NJ 55 & NJ 47 (3 / 5)
Routes 55 and 47 will take you from Deptford (Southern Camden County) to Cape May. They aren’t the most important roads in South Jersey, but they get a lot of love from the people heading from Philly to Cape May.
Rt. 47 is a typical state road that resembles a highway at times and a small town road at other times. For this reason, it can be an unreliable road. There are even points when you can’t tell exactly where the road continues. Add in a whole load of traffic lights, and you get a pretty slow moving trip to Cape May.
Rt. 55 is a highway that only has light traffic at most times. As long as it isn’t rush hour or a holiday weekend, Rt. 55 will probably get you where you need to be quickly. Unfortunately, R. 55 doesn’t go all the way to Cape May. A few miles after Millville, Rt. 55 merges with Rt. 47.
When taken together, Routes 55 and 47 get the job done, but travelling the entire length of them can take over one and a half hours for a trip that shouldn’t take more than an hour. Nonetheless, there’s no other choice. If you’re in Camden County or Philly and need to get to Cape May, there isn’t any other alternative.
Pros: Easy ride, Light traffic
Cons: Traffic lights, Not all highway
The White Horse Pike: US 30 (3 / 5)
The White Horse Pike, NJ Route 30, runs from the Ben Franklin Bridge to Atlantic City. It follows a different path than the Black Horse Pike, but manages to stick with a single route number. It too provides an alternative to the Expressway. If you aren’t confident enough to drive on a super-fast road like the Expressway, the White Horse Pike will get you there if you’re patient.
The problem with the Pike is that it’s loaded with traffic lights (and traffic, if you’re in Camden County). Generally, as you get closer to Atlantic City, the pace of the road will pick up. Additionally, there are parts of the road that are in serious need of repair. I’ve found that sticking to the left lane will result in a smoother drive, as most people hug the right (as the law tells them to do).
If you’re an out of state driver and want a scenic route, the White Horse Pike is the road for you. It slows down at certain points, but provides a nice drive and a good view of South Jersey. It’s not really that different from the Black Horse Pike.
Pros: Alternative to AC Expressway, Scenic
Cons: Traffic lights, Slow
Interstate-295 (3 / 5)
I-295 is the Jersey Turnpike’s good-for-nothing slacker son. They mostly go the same way, sometimes even merging to have a family moment, but I-295 gives up after it gets to Trenton, just like it gave up on everything else it ever started. It’ll take you from the Delaware/Pennsylvania border, where it forks off of I-95, all the way to Trenton, where it becomes I-95 again, curves into Pennsylvania, and starts to take you back south. I kid you not.
There are far more exits on I-295 than on the Turnpike. As with most sane roads, the exits are numbered by the mile, which is always nice to see. And while I-295 is a popular road for daily commuters, its three lanes mean that the traffic doesn’t bog down to a crawl on a daily basis. That isn’t to say there isn’t traffic. If you can’t handle constant merges at 65+ mph, then this isn’t your road.
Unfortunately, since you don’t have to pay to ride I-295, there isn’t much money floating around for repairs. Being a heavily trafficked road, I-295 has a good amount of wear. You will constantly encounter pot-holes and sections of roadway that are older than others.
Another problem with I-295 is that it merges with other major highways very often. When there is slowdown, you can bet it occurs at these merges. Even worse, if you aren’t a very aggressive driver, you might end up in the wrong lane and suddenly find yourself on a completely different road.
Pros: Less traffic than the Turnpike
Cons: Many merges, Poor road quality
The Garden State Parkway (4 / 5)
The Parkway is the shore’s version of the Turnpike. You might even call if New Jersey’s backbone, if you’re from the shore… but I’m not, so I won’t. It’ll take you from Cape May to just north of the New Jersey/New York border. It too is a toll road, and thanks to that fact, it is well maintained.
What’s fantastic about the Parkway is that even though it’s only two lanes, and has hundreds of exits, it still manages to be very fast. There simply isn’t the same volume of traffic that you get going from Philly to New York on the Turnpike, as a result it gives you a far more pleasant ride. However, there is a substantial amount of weekend traffic heading to and from Atlantic City, which is a pain, but nowhere near as annoying as the weekday traffic of the Turnpike.
There is another hitch to the Parkway, since it runs along the coast, it doesn’t follow a straight path as much as the Turnpike. Additionally, it’s only useful if you’re from the coast. Some of the places it passes through are just a nuisance, unless you live there. Who really needs to get to Tinton Falls or Red Bank? It’s just out of the way.
Pros: Only mild traffic, Well maintained
Cons: Toll road, Out of the way
Interstate 195 (3 / 5)
Another in the dysfunctional I-95 road family. This one will take you from Trenton straight to the Jersey shore. Sounds good, doesn’t it? There are just a few problems.
The entire length of the road is two lanes each way, with an extra lane added at each exit. While two lanes is generally enough, in traffic it can get painful, and I-195 gets a lot of traffic going to the shore. Also, there’s a Six Flags Great Adventure about 2/3 of the way to the shore, and that ends up being a pretty big draw too. So at times, the road has just a little more traffic than two lanes can handle.
At night, when there’s no traffic, you can make excellent time on I-195, but there’s another catch: poor lighting. With the exception of the exit ramps, there aren’t streetlights along this road. Additionally, the road makes gentle turns to combat highway hypnosis. This would be fine, but there are deer around. So while you’re speeding along at about 65 mph, all you can see is what’s in your headlights, and that isn’t much when you’re making a turn, no matter how gentle it is.
Pros: Mostly light traffic
Cons: Two lanes, Poor lighting
NJ 70 (1 / 5)
Oh Rt. 70, why can’t you just be a good road? You cut straight across south Jersey, where no other roads do. Such good intentions, and yet… east to west, from Camden to Manasquan, Rt. 70 is an epic failure of road design. It was built for a simpler time: when cars were the size of boats, had tail-fins, and most people couldn’t afford them.
The biggest problem with Rt. 70 is that in Camden county, it is very heavily traveled. It also has frequent traffic lights. Making things far worse is that there are three lanes at each light, but it then reverts to two lanes in open stretches. This would be fine, except for the volume of cars constantly trying to merge from three to two lanes. In the end, you have back-ups on a daily basis.
Outside of Camden county, Rt.70 clears up significantly as it heads into Medford and the Jersey’s famous Pine Barrens. The problem is that after a while it only has one lane going in each direction. This can be very harrowing if you’re an out of state driver and somebody like me starts tailgating you and eventually passes like a madman. Additionally, the road is relatively straight with nothing but trees around it, so highway hypnosis can become an issue.
Even more fun for you vacationers, Rt. 70 still has circles at a couple of its intersections. If you’ve never experienced a circle before, you’re in for some fun. It’s a way to have an intersection that allows traffic to pass through without stopping. It worked when there weren’t many cars around, but nowadays the things are death-traps. Luckily, the few remaining circles are at lightly travelled intersections. The truly devilish circles have been replaced by truly devilish messes of stoplights.
Pros: Good route across Jersey
Cons: Stoplights, Heavy traffic, Circles
The Black Horse Pike: The Road with Many Numbers (3 / 5)
The Black Horse Pike starts near the Ben Franklin Bridge as NJ Route 168, merges with NJ 42, then merges into US 322, and is also called US 40 right before it finally reaches Atlantic City. It seems that the road just can’t decide on what’s its number should be. Besides its identity crisis, Black Horse Pike provides a solid alternative to the Expressway for getting to Atlantic City.
The downside to the Pike is that it gets congested in Camden County, especially during peak traffic hours. It also has loads of traffic lights. Also, because this is a relatively old road, it isn’t always in the best of shape. At points you will encounter some uneven pavement. Generally, it won’t get you anywhere all that fast, but it will get you there eventually.
If there is an upside to travelling the Black Horse Pike, it’s that it gives you a good overview of South Jersey: Camden County is congested, the rest is farmland. If you’re looking for a scenic route, this is it. It isn’t very different from the White Horse Pike, so if you can’t decide between them you might as well flip a coin.
Pros: Alternative to AC Expressway, Scenic
Cons: Traffic lights, Slow
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