New Jersey Route 70

Route 70 marker

Route 70
John Davison Rockefeller Memorial Highway
Route information
Maintained by NJDOT
Length: 59.84 mi[1] (96.30 km)
Existed: 1953 – present
Major junctions
West end: Route 38 in Pennsauken Township
  I-295 in Cherry Hill
Route 73 in Evesham Township
US 206 in Southampton Township
Route 72 in Woodland Township
Route 37 in Lakehurst
US 9 in Toms River
G.S. Parkway in Lakewood Township
East end: Route 34 / Route 35 in Wall Township
Location
Counties: Camden, Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth
Highway system

New Jersey State Highway Routes

← Route 69Route 71 →
← US 40Route 41 →

Route 70 is a state highway located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It extends 59.84 mi (96.30 km) from an interchange with Route 38 in Pennsauken Township, Camden County to an intersection with Route 34 and Route 35 in Wall Township, Monmouth County. Route 70 cuts across the middle of the state as a two-lane highway through the Pine Barrens in Burlington and Ocean counties. The western section in Cherry Hill and Marlton is a four to eight-lane divided highway that serves as a major suburban arterial; as such, it is congested. It is locally known as the Marlton Pike. The eastern section in Monmouth and Ocean counties is also a multilane divided highway that runs through suburban areas. Route 70 is officially known as the John Davison Rockefeller Memorial Highway its entire length in honor of John Davison Rockefeller.

The portion of the current route between Whitesbog and Lakehurst became a part of pre-1927 Route 18 in 1923. In 1927, Route 40 was legislated to run from Camden to Lakewood; the termini were eventually moved to the Airport Circle in Pennsauken and the Laurelton Circle in Brick Township. Route 40 became Route 70 in 1953 in order to avoid conflicting with U.S. Route 40; in addition, the western terminus was cut back to its current location to avoid a concurrency with Route 38 and the eastern terminus was moved to the Brielle Circle, replacing a portion of Route 34 between the Laurelton Circle and the Brielle Circle.

Route description

Camden County

Route 70 begins at an interchange with Route 38 and County Route 601 (CR 601) in Pennsauken Township, Camden County.[1] From this interchange, it heads to the southeast on Marlton Pike, a six-lane divided highway that runs through suburban residential and commercial areas.[1][2] The road is also officially called the John Davison Rockefeller Memorial Highway for its entire length after John Davison Rockefeller.[1] The road enters Cherry Hill and comes to a cloverleaf interchange with CR 636 before crossing under New Jersey Transit's Atlantic City Line, a short distance to the south of the Cherry Hill Station. In this area, Route 70 passes to the south of the former site of the Garden State Park before crossing CR 644. Past this intersection, the route narrows to four lanes and turns more to as it comes to the Ellisburg area.[1][2] In Ellisburg, it has an intersection with Route 41 and the northern terminus of Route 154.[1] The road runs through more suburban areas as it encounters Interstate 295 at another cloverleaf interchange.[1][2] A short distance past I-295, Route 70 passes over the New Jersey Turnpike without an interchange before widening into an eight-lane highway and continuing east to junctions with CR 674 and CR 673. Following CR 673, the road narrows back to four lanes before it encounters CR 600, a former alignment of the road known as Old Marlton Pike.[1]

Burlington County

Route 70 eastbound at interchange with Route 73 in Marlton, the former location of the Marlton Circle
The Four Mile Circle as seen from westbound Route 70

Route 70 crosses the Pennsauken Creek into Evesham Township, Burlington County, running east through more commercial areas within the Marlton section of the township.[1][2] A short distance later, the route intersects Route 73 at an interchange that was formerly the Marlton Circle.[1][3] After the Marlton Circle, the road heads east passing through some more commercial areas and then into residential neighborhoods that are separated from the road by trees, narrowing into a two-lane undivided road.[2] It continues into a mix of suburban development and rural woods and farms as it crosses into Medford Township, coming to a crossroads with CR 618. From this intersection, Route 70 continues east through the Medford area, passing a couple shopping centers before crossing CR 541.[1][2] After the CR 541 intersection, the route leaves the suburban development and runs through a mix of woodland and farmland with occasional homes.[2] It enters Southampton Township, where the road enters more wooded surroundings before coming to U.S. Route 206 at the Red Lion Circle.[1][2]

Past here, Route 70 loses the Marlton Pike name and continues east into the heavily wooded Pine Barrens.[1][2] It passes to the south of the Leisuretowne retirement village before entering predominantly rural areas, with two fire lanes paralleling the road on either side.[2] Route 70 eventually turns slightly to the northeast and forms the border between Southampton Township to the north and Woodland Township to the south. Along this borderline, the route comes to the Four Mile Circle, where it intersects the western terminus of Route 72 as well as CR 644 and CR 646. Past the traffic circle, Route 70 becomes the border between Pemberton Township to the north and Woodland Township to the south.[1] The road passes to the south of the wooded Presidential Lakes Estates residential development before turning northeast through more of the Pine Barrens entirely within Pemberton Township. The road passes near some cranberry bogs before intersecting CR 530.[1][2] At this intersection, CR 530 heads east concurrent with Route 70.[1]

Ocean and Monmouth counties

Rural portion of Route 70 and CR 530 westbound in Manchester Township

A short distance later, the two routes enter Manchester Township in Ocean County and continue east through a tract of the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest within the Pine Barrens as well as a corner of the Fort Dix Military Reservation. The road eventually reaches the community of Whiting, where it passes commercial development at the intersection with CR 539. Here, CR 530 turns south to follow CR 539 and Route 70 continues northeast back into the Pine Barrens. The road turns more to the north-northeast before heading east into Lakehurst to the south of the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. In Lakehurst, Route 70 comes to a traffic circle with CR 4 and CR 12 before running through residential and commercial areas of the town.[1][2] It intersects with the southern terminus of CR 547, where it widens into a four-lane divided highway. From here, the route crosses over a Conrail Shared Assets Operations railroad line before coming to the Lakehurst Circle, where it intersects the western terminus of Route 37.[1]

An intersection in a business area with a green sign reading Route 70 west Lakehurst with two right arrows
Sign for westbound Route 70 along northbound U.S. Route 9 in Lakewood Township.

Route 70 enters Manchester Township again past this traffic circle and becomes a two-lane undivided road, passing near the wooded residential Leisure Knoll community before crossing CR 571. Past CR 571, the route heads through wooded suburban residential and business areas, crossing into Toms River.[1][2] Here, the road intersects CR 527 and CR 637 before becoming a four-lane divided highway again and encountering U.S. Route 9 at an interchange. Following the US 9 interchange, Route 70 enters Lakewood Township and turns more to the east, crossing CR 623 prior to a partial interchange with the Garden State Parkway. This interchange has access from eastbound Route 70 to the northbound parkway and from the southbound parkway to Route 70.[1] From here, the route continues into Brick Township and passes several shopping centers, intersecting CR 528 and CR 549.[1][2] At the CR 528 intersection, the road is briefly an undivided highway. It turns northeast, crossing the Metedeconk River before intersecting Route 88.[1] After this intersection, Route 70 passes more inhabited areas separated from the road by trees, crossing both CR 632 and CR 549 Spur.[1][2] A short distance later, it becomes an undivided road and crosses the Manasquan River on the September 11th Memorial Bridge, entering Brielle, Monmouth County.[1] The September 11th Memorial Bridge is dedicated to residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks.[4] After the bridge, the route turns north through residential areas and becomes a divided highway again, briefly forming the border between Wall Township to the west and Brielle to the east before fully entering Wall Township.[1][2] Route 70 ends at the former Brielle Circle intersection with Route 34 and Route 35, where the road continues north as part of Route 35.[1]

Route 70 is a major road providing access between the Philadelphia area and the Jersey Shore resorts, particularly Long Beach Island by way of Route 72.[5][6] It is also a congested commercial route within the suburban areas of Philadelphia.[6]

History

A six-lane divided highway approaching an intersection with a set of three green signs over the roadway. The left sign reads Route 70 west Lakehurst Camden keep left, the middle sign reads north Route 34 to Garden State Parkway Matawan, and the right sign reads Route 35 north Belmar next right.
Route 35 northbound approaching the intersection with the southern terminus of Route 34 and the eastern terminus of Route 70 in Wall Township, which was the Brielle Circle until 2001, when it was replaced with an at-grade intersection with jughandles

The Camden, Ellisburg, and Marlton Turnpike was chartered in 1849 as a turnpike that was to run from Camden east to Marlton along what is today Route 70 and CR 601.[7] The Marlton Pike was taken over by the county in 1907 at a time many other turnpikes became public roads.[8] The current alignment of Route 70 between Whitesbog (the west end of the CR 530 concurrency) and Lakehurst was legislated as a part of pre-1927 Route 18 in 1923, a route that was to run from Camden to Toms River.[9] In the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 40 was designated to run from Camden to Lakewood along the current alignment of Route 70. In addition a spur of this route called Route S40 (now Route 72) was designated to head from the route at Four Mile to Manahawkin.[10][11] Eventually, the eastern terminus of Route 40 was moved to the Laurelton Circle in Brick Township, where it intersected Route 35 (now Route 88) as well as Route 34, which continued north from this point; the western terminus was placed at the Airport Circle with U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 130 in Pennsauken, ending concurrent with Route 38.[12] In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 40 was renumbered to Route 70 in order to avoid the conflict with U.S. Route 40 in the state. Also, Route 70 was designated onto its current alignment between Route 38 in Pennsauken and Route 34 and Route 35 at the Brielle Circle, removing the concurrency with Route 38 and replacing the portion of Route 34 between the Laurelton Circle and the Brielle Circle.[13][14]

Route 40
Location: Camden–Lakewood
Existed: 1927[10]–1953[13]

Since 1953, many changes have occurred to Route 70. Several traffic circles that had existed on the road had been either modified or replaced by at-grade intersections. The Marlton Circle at Route 73 in Marlton was modified in 1974 to allow Route 73 to run directly straight through the circle. This circle became known for traffic backups and was replaced with an interchange.[15] Construction on this interchange, which cost $31 million, began in April 2009.[5] In May 2010, the circle was eliminated with a temporary at-grade intersection constructed while the Route 73 bridge over Route 70 was being built.[16] The interchange was completed in June 2011.[3] Also, the Race Track Circle at the intersection with CR 644 (Haddonfield Road) was eventually replaced by an at-grade intersection.[17] The Laurelton Circle at Route 88, built in 1937, was replaced by the 1990s.[18] The Ellisburg Circle at Route 41 and Route 154, was replaced by an intersection with jughandles.[17] The Brielle Circle at the eastern terminus was also converted to an intersection with jughandles in 2001.[19] In conjunction with eliminating the Brielle Circle, Route 70 was also widened between the intersection with Jack Martin Boulevard in Brick Township and the former circle.[20] In July 2004, floods caused by heavy rain washed away a bridge along the route in Southampton Township, leading for it to be replaced.[21] The New Jersey Department of Transportation replaced the September 11th Memorial Bridge over the Manasquan River in a $52 million project that increased capacity on the bridge and added monumental decorations and increased pedestrian access.[22] Construction was scheduled to be complete in December 2010; however, the project was completed ahead of schedule in September 2008.[22][23]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
CamdenPennsauken Township0.000.00 Route 38Western terminus, interchange
Cherry Hill Township1.041.67Cuthbert Boulevard (CR 636) – Merchantville, CollingswoodInterchange
3.665.89 Route 41 (Kings Highway) / Route 154 south (Brace Road) – Haddonfield, Maple ShadeFormer Ellisburg Circle
5.078.16 I-295 – Bellmawr, Delaware Memorial Bridge, Mt. Holly, TrentonI-295 exit 34
BurlingtonEvesham Township8.3313.41 Route 73 to N.J. Turnpike – Berlin, Atlantic City, Palmyra, Tacony BridgeInterchange, former Marlton Circle
Medford Township13.9122.39 CR 541 (Medford-Mt. Holly Road/Main Street)
Southampton Township18.5329.82 US 206 to N.J. Turnpike north / A.C. Expressway – Trenton, New York, Hammonton, Atlantic CityRed Lion Circle
Woodland Township26.3942.47 Route 72 east to G.S. Parkway south – Manahawkin, Long Beach IslandFour Mile Circle
Pemberton Township33.3253.62 CR 530 west (Lakehurst Road) – Browns Mills, Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force BaseWest end of CR 530 overlap
OceanManchester Township38.4361.85 CR 530 east (Lacey Road) / CR 539 (Whiting-New Egypt Road) – Trenton, Whiting, Forked RiverEast end of CR 530 overlap
Lakehurst44.4071.45 CR 547 north (Center Street) – Lakehurst Naval Air Station
44.7972.08 Route 37 east – Toms River, Seaside HeightsLakehurst Circle
Manchester Township46.8975.46 CR 571 (Ridgeway Road) to G.S. Parkway south – Jackson, Trenton, Toms River
Toms River Township48.6278.25 CR 527 (Whitesville Road) – Whitesville, Toms River
49.9080.31 US 9 – Lakewood, Toms RiverInterchange
Lakewood Township52.7984.96 G.S. Parkway – Woodbridge, Toms RiverGSP exit 89
Brick Township54.0386.95 CR 528 (Cedar Bridge Road) – Lakewood, Mantoloking
54.3587.47 CR 549 (Chambers Bridge Road) – Herbertsville, Breton Woods, Mantoloking
55.1388.72 Route 88 – Lakewood, Point PleasantFormer Laurelton Circle
57.7392.91
CR 549 Spur (Herbertsville Road) – Herbertsville, Point Pleasant
MonmouthWall Township59.8496.30 Route 34 north to G.S. Parkway – Matawan
Route 35 – Belmar, Seaside Park		Eastern terminus, former Brielle Circle
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 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Route 70 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Google (2009-09-25). "overview of New Jersey Route 70" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  3. 1 2 "Marlton Circle eliminated tonight". The Marlton Sun. June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  4. ↑ "September 11 Memorial Bridge". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  5. 1 2 "Route 70/73 Marlton Circle Elimination Project". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  6. 1 2 Strauss, Robert (August 26, 2001). "Getting There From Here Depends on Where Here Is". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  7. ↑ Murphy, John L. (1877). Index of Colonial and State Laws Between the Years 1663 and 1877 Inclusive. State of New Jersey. p. 852. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
  8. ↑ Cammarota, Ann Marie T. (2001). Pavements in the garden: the suburbanization of southern New Jersey, adjacent to the city of Philadelphia, 1769 to the present. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. ISBN 978-0-8386-3881-1. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
  9. ↑ Williams, Jimmy and Sharon. "NJ 1920s Route 18-". 1920s New Jersey Highways. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  10. 1 2 State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.
  11. ↑ Williams, Jimmy and Sharon. "1927 New Jersey Road Map". 1920s New Jersey Highways. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  12. ↑ Map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. Mid-West Map Co. 1941. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  13. 1 2 "1953 renumbering". New Jersey Department of Highways. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  14. ↑ "New Road Signs Ready in New Jersey". The New York Times. December 16, 1952. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  15. ↑ "3 decades later". Burlington County Times. 2009-04-16.
  16. ↑ "NJDOT: Traffic pattern at Marlon Circle to change Monday morning". Medford Central Record. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  17. 1 2 Walsh, Jim (July 29, 2006). "Circles slow to roll off South Jersey roadways". The Courier-Post.
  18. ↑ Donatiello, Eugene E. and John G. Leavey (1999). Brick Township. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-0332-0. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  19. ↑ "DiFrancesco and Weinstein Open Newly Reconfigured Interchange". New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2001. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  20. ↑ "Route 70 project tour". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  21. ↑ Holl, John (July 15, 2004). "In Flooded New Jersey Towns, the Cleanup Begins". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  22. 1 2 "Route 70 Bridge over Manasquan River – September 11 Memorial Bridge – Overview". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  23. ↑ "NJDOT announces completion of new Route 70 bridge over the Manasquan River". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-09-26.

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