I-95 gap in NJ

[Jack Watro]

I live in Ewing in Central New Jersey. As some of you may know, I-95 was supposed to travel from Philadelphia up to central N.J.(Ewing), where it would join I-295, then north of Princeton and south of Somerville to I-287, which would link it with the N.J. Turnpike at exit 10 and route it north to New York. The section between I-295 and I-287 was never built, and I-95 was extended east on I-295 to U.S. 1, and south on the N.J. Turnpike to exit 7A. This created a gap in I-95. It is not especially confusing for those travelling south, who unknowingly continue past the gap down the Turnpike and meet up with the real I-95 in Delaware (unless you are travelling to Philadelphia, which the real I-95 travels through, but the Turnpike bypasses). However, it is more confusing going north. Unknowing travellers going north continue past the exit for the Turnpike, which is marked as I-295, and continue up I-95 through Wilmington and Philadelphia. This confusion is made even worse by a sign just inside New Jersey in Ewing which says "I-95 North/New York". Then, about 2 miles farther on, another sign says "I-95 North/Use I-295 South/7 1/2 Miles", referring to the I-95/I-295/U.S. 1 junction. Travellers drive straight through what would have been the I-95/I-295 junction (which is marked by a split in the north and south lanes left to make room for the never built ramps to never built I-95 north) about 5 miles into N.J., and continue on to the junction. Starting there, I-295 travels south, with signs saying "To North I-95". After travelling back south for about 7 miles, another large sign says "Exit 60B-A/I-195/North I-95/N.J.29/N.J. 129". Travellers are now diverted off of I-295 south onto I-195 east. Along I-195 east, signs for "To North I-95" continue. Finally, after another 6 miles traveling east, I-195 junctions with the Turnpike, with the "To North I-95" signs directing traffic on to the Turnpike, which is now, finnally, I-95 again. Recently, while driving on I-95 north, I noticed a car with Georgia plates had made the mistake of travelling up I-95, and I watched them nearly miss the turn onto I-195 east and then nearly miss the exit to the Turnpike. They won't be travelling up I-95 past Wilmington again. Have any other out of state travellers made this mistake? Living here, its a novelty, and we all know about it, so I'm just curious.

[Karen Weagle]

Thank you for writing because I plan on driving from Florida to Canada this summer, for the first time, and this is very good to know!!! Now, when I'm in that vicinity, I can watch for I295... looking at a map, it looks like there is a bridge there. Is it a toll?

[Raymond C Martin Jr.]

Toll on the Delaware Memorial Bridge is $4.00 (I think). To avoid some of the Turnpike tolls, take I-295 north instead of the Turnpike. At exit 60, take I-195 east to get back to the Turnpike. Do not take this route during any weekday rush hour, because the I-295/I-76 junction is a mess (its under construction), sometimes even during normal traffic; take this route only during week late nights and early weekend mornings. It would probably be a lot easier to avoid the whole mess and just pay the (I think its about $2.00) toll, especially during peak hours.

[Raymond C. Martin Jr.]

If you are travelling up to Montreal via I-87 in New York, do not (I'm sure you've heard it before) take I-95 into NYC. Its ridiculously old and potholled, and the I-95/I-87 junction is literally spaghetti (although I'm amazed they found a way to fit a full interchange into that little space). Many advise the Garden State Parkway as an alternate, but it can be pretty intimidating, especially in the 10 lane section during evening rush hour traffic (its a glowing red tail-light river, and you're just caught in the current). If you want I-87 north, take the Turnpike to exit 10 (I-287) and take it north all the way to I-87. Its a little longer, but it has dual-dual lanes where needed, and is toll-free.

[Raymond C Martin Jr.]

BTW: (I know you must be tired of my messages by now) The current plan for closing the gap to is build a junction between I-95 and I-276 in Pennsylvania (they currently blow each other off). I-276 between I-95 and the N.J. Turnpike will then be redesignated I-95, I-95 will be extended down the Turnpike from exit 7A (the current gap) to exit 6, and I-95 from I-276 to I-295/U.S. 1 in New Jersey will be redesignated I-295. That won't be for a few years, though.

[George Kowal]

See my comments in the next section, there is a better way and the only toll from Delaware all the way up past Connecticut is one $3.50 toll where 287 goes over the Hudson River at the Tappan Zee Bridge. You would've paid $4 at the I-95 George Washington Bridge anyway, not to mention the other tolls and traffic and major messes you can avoid.

[Raymond C Martin Jr.]

There is more information on this subject in the next section, "Maryland to Connecticut Drive", from both myself and George (we kinda jumped topics there and talked about this stuff instead). Anyway, that's where this topic is continued.

[Raymond C Martin Jr.]

2 things:
First, I-95 on the Turnpike now extends all the way to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Extention Bridge over the Delaware River. This means that I-276 east turns into I-95 north at the border, and I-95 south turns into I-276 west. There is only one sign for this currently, a I-95 shield just past the NJ Turnpike toll booth coming into New Jersey from Pennsy. NJ Turnpike mainline has a few I-95 shields between exit 7A and exit 6 now, both directions. However, the signs for the extention from the mainline still call themselves "To I-276". I think that the Turnpike should get around to resigning all its directional signs with "Turnpike North" and "Turnpike South" as "I-95 North" and "I-95 South" between exit 10 and exit 6 pretty soon.

Second, before I forget, I should mention that Jack Watro is Raymond C Martin Jr. The opening article for this conversation is marked as from Jack, but that is only because back when I wrote, you still had to e-mail postings, and I didn't (and still don't) have my own e-mail address, so I used Jack's since he didn't mind. Just figured I ought to take credit for my own writing.

[Raymond C. Martin Jr.]

A much more comprehensive report on the I-95 gap in New Jersey can now be found at Steve Anderson's nycroads.com. Specifically, at: http://www.nycroads.com/roads/I-95/

[Frustrated Motorist]

Anytime I can avoid paying NJ for using one inch of the NJ TPKE, I do, therefore I exit at 7A, use I-195 west to grab I-295 S and do the final 60 miles of NJ on a real interstate highway. One thing I must compliment NJ on is joing EPass, if we are forced into paying to use Interstate highways, at least EPass, which I purchase from NY for no annual fee, allows sensible toll collection. Why does Maryland NOT ACCEPT EPass, where is the uniformity? No sector of the american public gets screwed more consistently than the motoring public. When are we to unite? I joined the National Motorists Association (NMA) who seems to have it together. In summary, the sooner I get off the NJ TPKE, the happier I always am, & remember, never run out of gas on the NJ Tpke, even if you have a gas can, they will NOT fill it for you at their stations! Make sure you have fuel!