Friday, April 5, 2002

County Approves Funds for North/South Corridor Study

Plans for the creation of a north/south connector route to improve the flow of traffic between Route 40 in Hamilton Township and Route 30 in Galloway Township are closer to reality, announced Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, following the recent approval of a $259,924 contract for preliminary engineering work and environmental assessment.

In addition to alleviating traffic congestion with the widening of Wrangleboro/Pomona Road, Levinson said the north/south corridor will provide an important link between the Black Horse Pike ( Rt. 40) and the White Horse Pike (Rt. 30), two of the area's busiest thoroughfares.

"For years we have been struggling with increased traffic volumes through this area without any solution," stated Levinson. "Now we finally have a viable solution and the financial backing to support it. I would like to thank Senator Gormley for his successful efforts towards this goal."

The state Department of Transportation has pledged an initial $500,000 in funding for the north/south corridor project. Freeholder Chairman Kirk Conover acknowledged that this was the state's first step in responding to the impact on the Pinelands-designated growth areas that include Hamilton and Galloway Townships.

The contract for the North/South Corridor Study was awarded to Parsons Brinckerhoff, a full service engineering firm that supervised the Atlantic City tunnel project and previously reviewed area traffic volumes and travel projections for the 1998 Atlantic County Airport Area Highway Needs Assessment. That study projected volumes along Wrangleboro/Pomoa Road near the Atlantic City Expressway bridge to exceed 1,230 vehicles per hour by this year.

Parsons Brinckerhoff will have five months to determine the extent of improvements that are needed to safely accommodate projected traffic volumes as well as the estimated costs of those improvements. County officials believe Parsons Brinckerhoff's familiarity with the area and its previous work provide the background necessary to expedite this process.

For more information, please contact Howard Kyle, Chief of Staff, at (609) 343-2368.

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