On Jan 23, 11:21 pm, Jim Ellwanger <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes, it's a bizarre situation, and everyone going all the way through > New Jersey on the Turnpike just kind of pretends it's I-95 all the way.
Actually, that's not true. Below exit 6, all of the I-95 shields have a "TO" modifier. > Two reasons it's like this: I-95 ends north of Trenton because it was > originally supposed to be extended north on an alignment running near > U.S. 1, paralleling the Turnpike, but that project was canceled > decades ago. And the I-95 numbering extends that far south on the > Turnpike because New Jersey was expecting Pennsylvania to build an > interchange between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and then the > I-95 number would be assigned to what's now I-276, which is what > connects to the NJ Turnpike at Exit 6. But that new interchange has > been on hold for over 20 years. The original plan for I-95 through NJ was that it would enter NJ at the Scutters Falls Bridge, then turn north in Ewing, just past exit 4 or 5. There would have been a decision point to allow drivers to proceed north on I-95, or south on I-295 toward the Del. Memorial Bridge. (Bits of unbuilt decision point - the acceleration lanes for the ramps - are still there.) I-95 would have cut through Hopewell Valley and eventually multiplex with I-287 in Metuchen for a few miles until finally meeting up with the NJ Turnpike at exit 10. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of NIMBY resistance to an interstate cutting through Hopewell Valley. After 20 years of back-and-forth, the unbuilt section of I-95 was cancelled in the early '80s, and the funds were reallocated, partially to building a connector between I-195 and I-295, so that there could be an all-interstate route back to the Turnpike for truckers coming up I-295; the connector was finally completed in 1995. The I-95 designation on the NJ Turnpike originally only extended to exit 10 (owing to the original alignment, including the unbuilt section). PA finally got approval to move ahead with the I-95/PA Turnpike interchange in 2004, and they're scheduled to start construction this year. Once the interchange is complete, I-95 will follow exit 6 (PA Turnpike extension) into Pennsylvania, then follow the interchange south onto the current roadway (near Philadelphia Park). The I-95 designation on the NJ Turnpike was extended to exit 6 when the project was approved, even though the linkage won't be complete until 2014. (http://www.paturnpikei95.com/home.htm) Here's where things get really "interesting" - when the new alignment is done, I-295 in NJ will end at the current interchange with I-195/ NJ29/NJ129. Everything north of that point, inclusive of I-295, the existing section of I-95 in Jersey, and the section of I-95 in PA north of the new PA Turnpike interchange will be resigned as I-195. We locals are pissed because we just got used to the 95/295/195 setup as it is, and we'll have to relearn it all over again. ObTVonTV: the whole NJ Turnpike/I-95 issue came up in the first episode of the Amazing Race family season; the teams had to get from Manhattan to Washington Crossing State Park, and I kept waiting for a team to follow the Turnpike straight down to Delaware. It appeared, tho, that all of the teams got the correct instructions - to get off the NJT at exit 9 and take Rt. 1. ObTVonTV2: the whole reason that I thought about this difference ("295 vs 'the' 295") was because I was watching an "NCIS" rerun on USA, and McGee referred to an interstate highway near DC as "the 395". --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... Smart (TV) People on Ice! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
