route 55 traffic
Congested traffic is seen along Route 55 in this Times file photo.
MAURICE RIVER TWP. -- Originally envisioned as an expressway from Philadelphia to Cape May, Route 55 instead ends abruptly in Maurice River Township -- short of its Jersey Shore destination.
First Legislative District lawmakers are attempting to restart dialogue about extending Route 55 to Cape May and are using traffic delays caused by an Aug. 5 construction accident on the Garden State Parkway as an example of why the project is needed.
The letter is signed by state Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak and directed toward New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Jaime Fox.
"This incident created a traffic nightmare, backing up vehicles on the roadway for hours, and demonstrated just how vulnerable Cape May County is in terms of motor vehicle access in and out of the county," the letter states. "If we were to encounter this type of large-scale incident again on one of our major roadways and, God forbid, need to evacuate our residents due to an oncoming storm, we could find ourselves in dire straits."
The letter was sent to Fox on Aug. 7.
MORE: Bridgework to cause lane closures on Route 55
"This project has been discussed for decades and presents a number of environmental and engineering challenges," said Kevin Israel, spokesman for the department, Tuesday afternoon. "We understand its importance to residents and businesses in that area and are working on setting up a meeting with Senator Van Drew's office."
Although the original plan for Route 55 was to extend it from Philadelphia to Cape May, the route instead ends in Maurice River Township in Cumberland County and there have not been any announcements about extending it to its intended terminus.
The extension did not come to fruition due to concerns about the environmental effects the construction will have.
Van Drew last attempted to reignite the project during a 2009 meeting with the South Jersey Transportation Authority.
The state senator and assemblyman most recently proposed legislation (S236) in January 2014 to allocate Transportation Trust Fund money to develop a plan to extend Route 55. It remains in committee.
Don E. Woods may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.