Looking back through old New Town Press issues, you can find some interesting things such as plans that never came to pass.
Luckily.
MARCH 1995
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials proposed plans to build a connecting highway between the turnpike and the Atlantic City Expressway. Only three locations in South Jersey were suitable. Two ran through Logan Township, Woolwich Township, South Harrison Township, and the third included East Greenwich Township.
One of the routes would have come within 200 feet of Kingsway Regional High School, stopping any building expansions. A route would have also called for the destruction of 57 homes, eight commercial buildings, one industrial site, one historic site, and wetlands.
The Woolwich Township Committee passed a resolution opposing this extension.
APRIL 1997
A new East/West traffic route was being recommended by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to redirect shore-bound traffic. They recommended using existing roadways versus building an east-west toll road that the public previously opposed.
The recommended route would take shore-bound traffic from the Commodore Barry Bridge onto Route 322 to Tomlin Station Road (County Road 607) to Franklinville Road (County Road 538) to Buck Road (County Road 553) and then to Route 55.
Listed advantages to this route? It was to avoid congestion in Swedesboro, Mullica Hill and Richwood and cut travel time.
Disadvantages? It would increase traffic in South Harrison. South Harrison officials said they opposed this. It would also mean smoothing curves on Tomlin Station Road and improvements to Tomlin and Franklinville Road, and additional signals and intersection improvements.
Other routes considered: 1) Route 322 to Glen Echo Ave. to Franklinville Road; 2.) Route 322 to Tomlin Station Road to Monroeville Road; 3) Route 322 to Ewan-Aura Road to Route 55; 4) Route 322 to I-295 to Center Square Road to Woodstown Road to Pedricktown-Harrisonville Road to Harrisonville-Mullica Hill Road to Ferrell Road to Franklinville Road.
By Karen E. Viereck, Editor/Publisher