Commuters get ready! Construction on Route 70 in Cherry Hill is about to begin
South Jersey drivers are in for additional traffic woes, as a months-long construction project begins this week on Route 70 - a stretch of highway that officials call one of the worst-paved in the state.
South Jersey drivers are in for additional traffic woes, as a months-long construction project begins this week on Route 70 - a stretch of highway that officials call one of the worst-paved in the state.
Work will start in both directions on a 7.7-mile stretch of Route 70, from Browning Road in Pennsauken, through Cherry Hill and into Evesham Township, Department of Transportation officials said.
The $9 million project will repave that section of the road before a "more extensive" $50 million project to reconstruct the road starts in 2019, said Kevin Israel, a Department of Transportation spokesman.
"The department is aware that it's a heavily traveled area, and especially at peak hours, gets pretty dense with traffic," Israel said, noting that most of the roadwork will be done during off-peak commuting times and the weekend to avoid major traffic jams.
The project was split and awarded to two contractors, who will simultaneously repair different sections of the route. The first contract, with Joseph Defino Trucking Co., will mend a middle section of the stretch, from Chambers Avenue in Cherry Hill to the New Jersey Turnpike.
The second contract, with South State Inc., will fix the first and last sections of the route, from Browning Road in Pennsauken to Chambers Avenue, and from the New Jersey Turnpike to Cropwell Road in Evesham.
The first contract work has started, with pre-construction signs posted. Lane closures and construction will begin in the coming weeks, and work on that stretch will be complete by early 2017.
Work on the remainder of the road will begin after the Fourth of July, and be completed in the fall.
The Department of Transportation is encouraging drivers to regularly check the department's social media accounts, as well as work zone signs and 511nj.org, for updates and changes, said Steve Schapiro, a DOT spokesman.
Officials expect the construction to result in backed-up traffic because of the lane closures.
In addition to the commuter traffic on Route 70, several businesses and restaurants rely on the roadway to get customers to their establishments.
Bridget Palmer, a spokeswoman for Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn, said that the township is aware and sensitive to a potential negative effect on businesses there, but that the town will inform the public of the work.
"There could be an impact, but we'll do whatever we can to alert people that businesses are still open," she said.
Andrew Welder, the owner of the Rockhill restaurant on Route 70, said he's "definitely concerned" about the construction that will take place near his restaurant.
"We'll worry about it, but at the same time, I guess it's going to affect everybody on the stretch," he said.
When there has been construction in the area before, Welder said, he has noticed a difference in the number of people who enter the dining room to eat, but there haven't been major problems.
Richard Tustin, a manager at Erlton Bikes on Route 70, uses the route to get to work from Tabernacle. Traffic is always a problem around rush hour, he said, and construction can make it more difficult.
"Every time I see construction, I roll my eyes," he said.
Tustin said the existing traffic hasn't harmed his business and doesn't anticipate it to worsen, especially if the roadwork is kept to off-peak and night hours.
"Construction always does make it a bit harder to get to the shop," he said, "but I'm also happy they're doing it. The road is just terrible."
Regulo Reyes, the owner of La Cita Authentic Mexican Cuisine a few doors down from the bike shop, said he thinks the construction is for the best, given the existing poor pavement conditions.
"It's going to affect a lot of people and businesses, but it's going to be a lot better," he said. "We have only two lanes, so we have a lot of traffic already."
Palmer said that Cahn has been advocating for the fix, and that residents have been calling the township about the route's condition for more than five years.
"In terms of the condition of the roadway, the project is years overdue," Palmer said. "This short-term disruption is worth the longtime benefit."
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