Atlantic City Expressway

Atlantic City Expressway marker

Atlantic City Expressway
Route information
Maintained by South Jersey Transportation Authority
Length: 44.19 mi[1] (71.12 km)
Existed: 1964 – present
Major junctions
West end: Route 42 in Washington Township
 
East end: Baltic Avenue in Atlantic City
Location
Counties: Gloucester, Camden, Atlantic
Highway system

New Jersey State Highway Routes

← Route 445446Route 446X →

The Atlantic City Expressway (officially numbered, but unsigned, as Route 446 and abbreviated A.C. Expressway, ACE, or ACX, and known locally as "the Expressway") is a 44.19-mile (71.12 km), controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. It serves as an extension of the freeway portion of Route 42 in Turnersville (which is itself an extension of Interstate 76) southeast to Atlantic City. It connects the Philadelphia metropolitan area with Atlantic City and other Jersey Shore resorts. In addition to providing a route between the Delaware Valley and Atlantic City, as well as other Shore Points, the expressway also serves other South Jersey communities, including Hammonton and Mays Landing. The expressway intersects many major roads, including Route 73 in Winslow Township, Route 54 in Hammonton, Route 50 in Hamilton Township, the Garden State Parkway in Egg Harbor Township, and U.S. Route 9 in Pleasantville.

The Atlantic City Expressway has an open system of tolling, with two mainline toll plazas (Egg Harbor in Hamilton Township and Pleasantville) and seven exits with ramp tolls. The total cost to travel the length of the Atlantic City Expressway is currently $3.75 and E-ZPass is accepted. In 2008, two separate plans were made to raise the tolls along the road, one proposed by Governor Jon Corzine and one proposed by the South Jersey Transportation Authority that would increase tolls 50%. The latter toll increase took place effective November 18, 2008. The expressway features one service area, Farley Plaza, in Hamilton Township a short distance west of the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza, as well as a gas station and mini-mart near the Atlantic City Welcome Center in Pleasantville. In a few years, the road is expected to use all-electronic tolling.

Plans for the road go back to the 1930s, when a parkway was proposed between Camden and Atlantic City that was never built. Plans resurfaced for the road in the 1950s when a group of officials led by State Senator Frank S. Farley pushed for a road to help the area economy. The New Jersey Expressway Authority was created in 1962 to be responsible for building an expressway. The Atlantic City Expressway was built between 1962 and 1965 at a total cost of $48.2 million. The South Jersey Transportation Authority assumed control of the road in 1991 from the New Jersey Expressway Authority.

Route description

Gloucester and Camden Counties

The beginning of the eastbound Atlantic City Expressway in Turnersville from southbound Route 42

The Atlantic City Expressway begins at Route 42 in Turnersville in Washington Township, Gloucester County, where it continues north as the North–South Freeway, a part of Route 42. Here, Route 42 continues south on the Black Horse Pike and Route 168 continues north on the Black Horse Pike. A westbound exit provides a connection to northbound Route 168.[1] The expressway then heads southeast, straddling between Washington Township and Gloucester Township, Camden County. On the Gloucester Township/Winslow Township border, the Atlantic City Expressway features a diamond interchange with County Route 689.[1] Past CR 689, there is a full interchange with County Route 536 Spur.[1] The expressway passes under County Route 536 and then features a partial interchange with County Route 723, with an eastbound exit and a westbound entrance. It then meets Route 73 at another partial interchange, with a westbound exit and an eastbound entrance.[1]

Atlantic County

Eastbound on the Atlantic City Expressway approaching the Garden State Parkway in Egg Harbor Township

The Atlantic City Expressway crosses into Hammonton, Atlantic County. Continuing to the southeast, it encounters Route 54 at a full interchange.[1] It then enters Hamilton Township and passes under County Route 559.[1] The lanes of the Atlantic City Expressway in both directions split for the Farley Service Plaza, which is located in the median of the expressway.[2] Past the Farley Service Plaza, the Atlantic City Expressway meets the mainline Egg Harbor Toll Plaza. It then features a full interchange with Route 50, with the westbound exit and eastbound entrance being E-ZPass only.[1][3][4] It meets County Route 670, with another partial interchange featuring an eastbound off-ramp and a westbound on-ramp that provides access to the Atlantic City Race Track.[5] Next, it has an eastbound exit and westbound entrance for County Route 575, which provides access to U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 322, and the Hamilton Mall.[5] To and from the east, a ramp runs from the Atlantic City Expressway to the US 40/US 322 split.[1]

The Atlantic City Expressway then enters Egg Harbor Township. It interchanges with County Route 646, which provides access to the Atlantic City International Airport,[5] and passes under County Route 563.[1] It then features a cloverleaf interchange with the Garden State Parkway and crosses into Pleasantville. The expressway meets U.S. Route 9 at a diamond interchange. It passes under County Route 585 and features a partial interchange with North Franklin Boulevard, with a westbound exit and eastbound entrance.[1]

The beginning of the westbound Atlantic City Expressway in Atlantic City

The Atlantic City Expressway continues to the Pleasantville Toll Plaza. Past the toll plaza, the travel lanes separate and a long parking area, used by Atlantic City casino employees, lies within the median of the expressway. It then encounters the Atlantic City Welcome Center and a gas station/mini-mart.[6] and enters Atlantic City. Upon entering Atlantic City, the expressway features an eastbound exit and westbound entrance to US 40/US 322.[1] It then continues southeast, crossing the Beach Thorofare, and soon after encounters an eastbound exit and westbound entrance for the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector, which provides access to the Atlantic City Convention Center, the Marina district, and Brigantine.[5] It then ends at a traffic light at the intersection with Baltic Avenue near Tanger Outlets The Walk, where it becomes the one-way pair of Missouri Avenue eastbound (also known as Christopher Columbus Boulevard and County Route 692[7]) and Arkansas Avenue westbound (County Route 694).[1][5]

In 2015, the Atlantic City Expressway counted over 51 million toll-paying vehicles.[8] The speed limit on the Atlantic City Expressway is 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) with "conditions permitting" on the posted sign for most of the route. Call boxes are located every mile on either side.[9]

Toll plazas and rest area

Egg Harbor toll plaza

Automobiles currently must pay a $3.00 toll at the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza, which is located east of the Farley Service Plaza at milepost 17.5, and a $0.75 toll near Pleasantville.[10] Both mainline toll plazas have Express E-ZPass lanes through the center of the plaza. Exits between the two toll plazas may also charge a small fee, depending on the distance. A $0.75 toll for cars is currently charged at the eastbound exits and westbound entrances at exits 5, 28, and 33 and the westbound exits and eastbound entrances at exits 9 and 12; in addition, a $0.40 toll for cars is currently charged at the eastbound exits and westbound entrances at exits 38 and 41.[10] A $3.00 E-ZPass only toll is charged for the westbound exit and eastbound entrance at exit 17.[3][11]

On January 8, 2008, Governor Jon Corzine proposed a 50 percent increase in tolls on New Jersey's three toll roads in 2010, with increases of a similar percentage every four years after that, in order to help pay down the state debt. Each time tolls increased, there would be an additional increase for inflation since the last toll increase (for the first, since 2006). The roads would be maintained by a nonprofit public-benefit corporation, which would pay back bonds to the state. Under this plan, without considering inflation, tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway would have risen from $2.50 to $16.59 in 2022.[12] It was possible that commuters would receive discounts from the higher toll rates.[13] However, the proposal was not enacted due to opposition from leaders of the New Jersey Legislature.[14] On September 5, 2008, a proposal by the South Jersey Transportation Authority was created to raise tolls by 50 percent, from $2.50 to $3.75, in order to fund improvements to the road as well as to the Atlantic City International Airport.[15] This toll increase took place effective November 18, 2008.[10] In 2009, the South Jersey Transportation Authority considered making the tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway completely electronic, in which E-ZPass would be used. Vehicles without E-ZPass will be billed using license plate technology, with a 10% surcharge applied to their tolls.[16] The Atlantic City Expressway was expected to become an all-electronic toll road by Memorial Day weekend 2011.[17] However, the tolls on the road were later not expected to become cashless until between 2013 and 2015.[18]

Since 2014, eastbound tolls have been waived at the Egg Harbor toll plaza between 5:00 and 6:00 pm on the Friday before Memorial Day in order to promote the unofficial beginning of the summer tourist season at the Jersey Shore. Chickie's & Pete's, a local sports bar chain, pays for the tolls normally collected during this hour.[19][20] In October 2014, eastbound tolls were waived at the Egg Harbor and Pleasantville toll plazas on Tuesdays between 12:00 pm and 12:00 am in order to encourage midweek tourism to Atlantic City.[21]

Farley Service Plaza, the only service area on the route, has a building containing several fast-food restaurants, a gift shop, an ATM, tourist information, and a Sunoco gas station and mini-mart. It is located between the two sides of the road to service traffic coming in either direction. The Farley Service Plaza is run by HMSHost.[1][2] In the mid-2000s, an additional Sunoco gas station and mini-mart were opened in the narrow center median behind the Atlantic City Welcome Center by Exit 2.[2]

History

Typical signage for the Atlantic City Expressway

The road was originally planned as a parkway in 1932, running from the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden to Atlantic City, but it never materialized.[22] The idea for a limited access road between the Philadelphia area and Atlantic City resurfaced in the 1950s when South Jersey officials, led by State Senator Frank S. Farley, pushed for an expressway between the two areas to help the economy of Southern New Jersey.[23] The New Jersey State Highway Department authorized traffic studies for a toll road between Turnersville and Atlantic City in 1958 and 1959, and the New Jersey Expressway Authority Act in 1962 called for a five-member agency (the New Jersey Expressway Authority) with representatives from four Southern New Jersey counties to be responsible for issuing bonds to build and maintain the Atlantic City Expressway.[24]

Construction of the Atlantic City Expressway started in the summer of 1962. The design was to feature a 300- to 400-foot-wide roadway with 12-foot-wide travel lanes and right shoulders as well as 3-foot-wide left shoulders. The portion between Route 42 in Turnersville and the Garden State Parkway in Egg Harbor Township was completed on July 31, 1964, and the portion between the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City was finished in July 1965. Construction of the Atlantic City Expressway cost a total of $48.2 million. Tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway initially cost $0.75 at the Egg Harbor toll plaza and $0.15 at the Pleasantville toll plaza.[25] In 1991, the South Jersey Transportation Authority was created by the New Jersey Legislature to operate the Atlantic City Expressway, the Atlantic City International Airport, and operations of the Atlantic County Transportation Authority.[6]

In recent years, many improvements have been made to the Atlantic City Expressway. A new interchange with County Route 689 on the Gloucester Township/Winslow Township border was completed in 2000 at a cost of $5 million. The Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector was completed on July 31, 2001 to connect the Atlantic City Expressway to the Marina district and Brigantine.[25] In 2005, the Atlantic City Expressway added a third lane in both directions between the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City and in the eastbound direction between Route 73 and the Garden State Parkway. In addition, the Pleasantville Toll Plaza was reconstructed, replacing the older cash booths with newer technology.[25]

On November 21, 2008, construction began on the reconstruction of Interchange 17, with completion on June 18, 2010.[11][26][27] As a result of reconstructing this interchange, the SJTA approved raising the interchange toll to $3.00. This new rate is charged to motorists heading to or from the east along the Atlantic City Expressway at Route 50.[28] The proposal drew opposition from area officials who felt the proposed rate was too high.[29] The westbound exit and eastbound entrance at Interchange 17 was designed to be E-ZPass only, the first such interchange on the Atlantic City Expressway.[3]

In 2007, it was announced that the mainline Expressway from milepost 7.0–31.0 would be widened in the westbound direction to accommodate a third lane from just north of the Garden State Parkway to Route 73. Interchange 17 (Route 50) would be reconstructed to form a full movement interchange (completed June 18, 2010), and the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza would receive Express E-ZPass lanes to maintain highway speed. Construction on these three projects was financed by a $25 million bond.[11] The Express E-ZPass was completed in May 2011, with the first phase completed in the summer of 2010.[17][18]

The work under the widening project also included improvements to bridges, lighting, and guide signs. In addition, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology, such as traffic cameras and variable message signs, were also added to the Atlantic City Expressway to enhance safety and aid in monitoring traffic. The first phase widened the road from the Garden State Parkway to the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza. The second phase widened the road from the Egg Harbor Toll Plaza to milepost 24.5. The third phase widened the road west to Route 73. The ITS components were installed along these sections of the roadway through the course of each phase.[30] The widening work was completed in May 2014 and the third lane opened in its entirety by Memorial Day 2014.[31] The fourth phase added ITS technology to the parts of the road that are not being widened.[30]

Future developments

The SJTA revealed plans for a major road improvement project that would link the Atlantic City International Airport directly to the Atlantic City Expressway, with construction beginning as early as 2013. The plan includes new ramps with two overpasses over the expressway. The road would connect Amelia Earhart Boulevard with an overpass above Airport Circle. Plans also call for building a service road with another overpass that would provide access to Delilah Road. Another project involves the installation of an overpass at the end of Amelia Earhart Boulevard next to the entrance to the FAA tech center. The proposed roadway would intrude upon a small section of a mobile home park and land owned by Egg Harbor Township.[32]

Exit list

Mileposts run from east to west.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
GloucesterWashington Township44.1971.12– Route 42 north to N.J. Turnpike – Camden, PhiladelphiaWestern terminus of Atlantic City Expressway
44.0070.8144 Route 168 north – Sicklerville, BlackwoodWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit 44 is Route 42 exit 7 immediately after the expressway ends
CamdenWinslow Township40.7065.5041 CR 689 (Berlin-Cross Keys Road) – Gloucester Township, Winslow TownshipToll for eastbound exit and westbound entrance[10]
38.4061.8038
CR 536 Spur (Williamstown Road) – Sicklerville, Williamstown		Toll for eastbound exit and westbound entrance[10]
32.7052.6333Winslow, Blue AnchorEastbound exit and westbound entrance; toll, access via CR 723[10]
31.4050.5331 Route 73 – Winslow, Blue AnchorWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
AtlanticHammonton27.8044.7428 Route 54 – Hammonton, Vineland, TrentonToll for eastbound exit and westbound entrance[10]
Hamilton Township21.5034.60Farley Service Plaza
Egg Harbor Toll Plaza[10]
16.8027.0417 Route 50 – Egg Harbor, Mays LandingE-ZPass only toll for westbound exit and eastbound entrance[3]
13.5021.7314Hamilton Township, Galloway TownshipEastbound exit and westbound entrance, access via CR 670
12.3019.7912 US 40 (US 322 / CR 575) – Mays LandingToll for westbound exit and eastbound entrance[10]
Egg Harbor Township9.5015.299 CR 646 (Delilah Road) – A.C. International Airport, FAA Technical CenterToll for westbound exit and eastbound entrance[10]
7.2011.597 G.S. Parkway – Cape May, New York CitySigned as exits 7N (north) and 7S (south), eastbound Exit 7S has an additional ramp that connects to GSP Exit 37
Pleasantville5.408.695 US 9 – Northfield, Smithville, PleasantvilleToll for eastbound exit and westbound entrance[10]
4.807.724Franklin Boulevard – Pleasantville, AbseconWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Pleasantville Toll Plaza[10]
Atlantic City Welcome Center and Service Plaza
Atlantic City2.173.492 US 40 / US 322 (Black Horse Pike) – Atlantic CityEastbound exit and westbound entrance
0.140.231 Brigantine Connector – Convention Center, Marina, BrigantineEastbound exit and westbound entrance
0.000.00–Baltic AvenueEastern terminus at an at-grade intersection
0.000.00–Christopher Columbus Boulevard (CR 692 east) – Midtown, Uptown, Downbeach
Arkansas Avenue (CR 694 west)		Continuation past Baltic Avenue, one-way pair
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Staff (January 1997). "Route 446" (PDF). Straight Line Diagrams. New Jersey Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Staff. "Frank S. Farley Service Plaza". Atlantic City Expressway. South Jersey Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "No cash at EZ Pass only exit on AC Expressway". Wilmington, DE: WHYY-TV. June 18, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  4. ↑ Watson, Sarah (June 19, 2010). "Exit 17 interchange on the Atlantic City Expressway is open — but it costs $3 to use and only takes E-ZPass". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Google (April 1, 2009). "Overview of the Atlantic City Expressway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  6. 1 2 Staff. "About the AC Expressway". Atlantic City Expressway. South Jersey Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ Staff (August 2001). "County Route 692" (PDF). Straight Line Diagrams. New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  8. ↑ Staff (2015). "Annual Report" (PDF). South Jersey Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  9. ↑ Staff. "Emergency Services". Atlantic City Expressway. South Jersey Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Staff. "Toll Schedule". Atlantic City Expressway. South Jersey Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 Staff (June 18, 2010). "AC Expressway exit 17 new full interchange provides access to economic growth in Atlantic County" (Press release). South Jersey Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  12. ↑ McCoy, Craig R. (January 9, 2008). "Corzine calls for 50% toll increase". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  13. ↑ Nussbaum, Paul (January 11, 2008). "Corzine: Toll-hike breaks are likely". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  14. ↑ Jones, Richard G; Chen, David W. (April 30, 2008). "Corzine Weighs Options on Toll Increases". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  15. ↑ Nussbaum, Paul (September 6, 2008). "A.C. Expressway toll hike of 50% planned". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  16. ↑ Owens, Joseph P. (June 30, 2009). "Atlantic City Expressway authority considers going cash-free, but drivers will still pay the toll". The Express-Times. Easton, PA. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  17. 1 2 Rao, Maya (September 4, 2010). "Atlantic City Expressway plans all-electronic tolling". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 10 September 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  18. 1 2 Nussbaum, Paul (May 21, 2011). "E-ZPass lanes open at Egg Harbor toll plaza of Atlantic City Expressway". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Chickie’s And Pete’s Offering Toll-Free Rides To Jersey Shore On Friday". Philadelphia, PA: KYW-TV. May 22, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  20. ↑ Cummings, Sinead (May 24, 2017). "'Crabfries Pass': No need to pay a toll driving to the Jersey Shore for the holiday weekend". Philly Voice. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Atlantic City Toll-Free Tuesdays in October". Philadelphia, PA: WCAU-TV. September 29, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  22. ↑ Regional Planning Federation (1932). Regional Plan of the Philadelphia Tri-State District. Philadelphia: Press of Wm. F. Fell Co. OCLC 1847779.
  23. ↑ Staff (1967). New Jersey Highway Facts. Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Department of Transportation. OCLC 454541.
  24. ↑ New Jersey State Highway Department; Parsons; Brinckerhoff; Quade & Douglas (1962). Atlantic City Expressway: Engineering Report. New York: Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas. OCLC 23458518.
  25. 1 2 3 Staff. "History & Milestones". Atlantic City Expressway. South Jersey Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  26. ↑ Staff (November 21, 2008). "SJTA begins construction of Atlantic City Expressway Interchange 17" (Press release). South Jersey Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  27. ↑ Staff (March 16, 2009). "New traffic pattern until July 2009" (Press release). South Jersey Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  28. ↑ "SJTA approves new $3 expressway toll in Hamilton Township". Press of Atlantic City. April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  29. ↑ Ortiz, Erik (April 20, 2010). "SJTA to review plans for $3 toll at Atlantic City Expressway interchange at Route 50". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  30. 1 2 Staff. "Third Lane Widening Westbound Atlantic City Expressway". Atlantic City Expressway. South Jersey Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  31. ↑ Wittkowski, Donald (May 14, 2014). "Widening of westbound expressway expected to be complete for Memorial Day". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  32. ↑ Watson, Sarah (April 14, 2011). "Project would link Atlantic City International Airport directly to the Atlantic City Expressway by 2013". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
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