Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania)
Interstate 295 (I-295) in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania is an American auxiliary Interstate Highway. It is designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, and a partial beltway of Trenton.
The route begins at the interchange with I-95 south of Wilmington, and runs to an interchange with I-95 in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania. The highway heads east from I-95 and crosses the Delaware River into New Jersey on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, running concurrently with US 40. Upon entering New Jersey, I-295 runs concurrently with the New Jersey Turnpike and US 40 for a brief 0.5 miles (0.80 km) until splitting away at exit 1 and runs parallel to the turnpike for most of its course in the state. After a concurrency with US 130 in Gloucester County, I-295 has an interchange with I-76 and Route 42 in Camden County. The freeway continues northeasterly towards Trenton, where it interchanges with I-195 and Route 29 before bypassing the city to the east, north, and west, crossing the Delaware River on the Scudder Falls Bridge into Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, I-295 is signed as an east–west road and heads south to its other terminus at I-95. I-295 is one of two auxiliary Interstates in the US to enter three states, the other being the I-275 beltway around Cincinnati, which enters Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Three portions of I-295 predate the Interstate Highway System: the Delaware Memorial Bridge and its approach, built in 1951; a section in Salem County, built in 1953; and the part concurrent with US 130, built in two sections that opened in 1948 and 1954. The route was designated on these sections in New Jersey in 1958 and in Delaware in 1959. The portion of I-295 connecting to I-95 in Delaware opened in 1963 while most of the route in New Jersey was finished by the 1980s. The part of I-295 near the interchange with I-195 and Route 29 was finished in 1994. I-295 previously ended in New Jersey at US 1 in Lawrence Township, becoming I-95 heading south into Philadelphia. By July 2018, I-295 was extended along the former I-95 in New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to end at I-95 at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with no access between I-295 and the latter road. In addition to the extension of I-295, now at 76 miles (122 km), it became the longest signed interstate in New Jersey, surpassing I-80. Improvements continue to be made to the highway, including reconstruction of interchanges and replacement of bridges.
Route description
[edit]I-295 begins at I-95, I-495, US 202, and DE 141 near Newport, Delaware, and heads east over the Delaware River on the Delaware Memorial Bridge into New Jersey. The highway intersects the southern terminus of the New Jersey Turnpike and runs northeast through suburban areas of South Jersey parallel to the turnpike, providing a bypass of Philadelphia and Camden. I-295 turns north and bypasses Trenton to the east and turns west at the interchange with US 1 in Lawrence Township. The route heads west around the north side of Trenton, crosses the Delaware River on the Scudder Falls Bridge into Pennsylvania, and heads south to its terminus at I-95 in Bristol Township.[2][6][7][8] The portion of I-295 running through New Jersey is sometimes referred to as the Camden Freeway by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).[9] As part of the Interstate Highway System, the entire length of I-295 is a part of the National Highway System,[10][11][12] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[13]
Newport to Westville
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I-295 begins at an interchange with I-95, I-495, US 202, and DE 141 south of the town of Newport in New Castle County, Delaware. The northbound beginning of I-295 has direct ramps from both directions of I-95, southbound I-495, and southbound DE 141, while the southbound end of I-295 has direct ramps to both directions of I-95, northbound I-495, and northbound DE 141. From this junction, the highway heads southeast on an eight-lane freeway maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation that passes to the northeast of suburban neighborhoods in Wilmington Manor. I-295 passes over the Jack A. Markell Trail and reaches an interchange with US 13/US 40 in Farnhurst. Here, US 40 splits from US 13 by heading east concurrently with I-295. At this interchange, the highway becomes maintained by the Delaware River and Bay Authority. The road has an eastbound ramp to Landers Lane before it passes between residential neighborhoods and comes to a cloverleaf interchange with DE 9 north of the city of New Castle. This interchange provides access to Veterans Memorial Park, where a war memorial honoring veterans from Delaware and New Jersey is located. Past DE 9, the median of the freeway widens to include the DRBA headquarters, with direct access to and from the southbound lanes while northbound access is provided by way of DE 9. After this, the southbound lanes of I-295 have a toll plaza for the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I-295/US 40 continues east and passes over Norfolk Southern Railway's New Castle Secondary railroad line before crossing the Delaware River on the twin-span Delaware Memorial Bridge.[6][8]
Upon reaching the east bank of the Delaware River, I-295/US 40 begins a brief concurrency with the New Jersey Turnpike and enters Pennsville in Salem County, New Jersey, heading east-southeast through industrial areas. The freeway comes to an interchange with US 130 and Route 49. Here, I-295 splits onto its own freeway maintained by the New Jersey Department of Transportation while US 40 continues along the New Jersey Turnpike for a short distance before it splits to the southeast. A short distance later, the roadway enters Carneys Point and CR 551 merges onto I-295, with the four-lane freeway heading northeast. The highway comes to a junction with Route 140, where CR 551 splits from I-295 by continuing east along Route 140. I-295 heads into wooded areas and features a rest area in the northbound direction. The freeway continues northeast and comes to a northbound weigh station before it reaches the Route 48 exit. The highway runs through a mix of farmland and woodland and enters Oldmans Township, where it comes to an interchange providing access to Straughns Mill Road (CR 643).[2][8]
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I-295 crosses the Oldmans Creek into Logan Township in Gloucester County and passes near some residential development and Pureland Industrial Complex as it comes to the exit for Center Square Road (CR 620). The road crosses the Raccoon Creek and reaches an exit for US 322. Following this, the highway runs through agricultural and wooded areas before northbound US 130 merges into the freeway.
At this point, I-295 and US 130 head east as a six-lane freeway with a narrow median and soon come to the exit for Repaupo Station Road (CR 684). Continuing east, the freeway crosses into Greenwich Township and has an exit for Tomlin Station Road (CR 607). After passing near Greenwich Lake, there are exits for Paulsboro-Swedesboro Road (CR 653) and Democrat Road (CR 673) within a short distance of each other. I-295/US 130 reaches an exit for Harmony Road (CR 680) on the border of Greenwich Township and East Greenwich Township. The road runs through a portion of East Greenwich Township before crossing back into Greenwich Township and coming to an exit for Berkley Road (CR 678) and Cohawkin Road (CR 667) on the border of Greenwich Township and Paulsboro.[2][8]
Past this point, the freeway runs through marshy areas of Mantua Creek and continues into West Deptford. Here, there is an exit for Mantua Grove Road (CR 656). Passing near more industrial areas, I-295/US 130 has an interchange with Mid-Atlantic Parkway, which provides access to Route 44 as well as to Grove Street (CR 643) and Jessup Road (CR 660). Continuing northeast, the freeway passes over Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Penns Grove Secondary railroad line and reaches an exit for Route 44 and Delaware Street (CR 640). At this point, Route 44 begins to parallel I-295/US 130 on its northwest side as the two roads cross the Woodbury Creek. Route 44 ends at a cul-de-sac that has a ramp from the southbound direction of I-295/US 130 prior to another exit that provides access to Red Bank Avenue (CR 644). The freeway passes near some homes before US 130 splits from I-295 at an interchange that also has access to Hessian Avenue (CR 642). The median of I-295 becomes wider again and it continues east through woods, coming to a southbound exit and northbound entrance with Route 45. The roadway passes over Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Vineland Secondary railroad line and briefly passes through Deptford before it has a partial interchange with CR 551, with a southbound exit and northbound entrance. The highway enters Westville and skirts near residential and commercial development, with another southbound exit and northbound entrance serving Route 47.[2][8]
Bellmawr to Lawrence Township
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I-295 crosses the Big Timber Creek into Bellmawr in Camden County and runs northeast, with a northbound exit to southbound Route 42 and a southbound entrance from northbound Route 42, before it comes to the exit for the North–South Freeway, which serves as Route 42 and I-76. At this point, the travel lanes of I-295 head north for a short distance along the outside of the North–South Freeway, with the northbound lanes of I-295 having access from northbound Route 42 and eastbound I-76 and access to westbound I-76 while the southbound lanes of I-295 having access from eastbound I-76 and access to southbound Route 42. Past this, I-295 continues east as a six-lane freeway through wooded areas near suburban development, passing under Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Grenloch Industrial Track line before reaching an exit for Black Horse Pike (Route 168). The highway heads east along the border between Haddon Heights to the north and Barrington to the south and passes over Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Beesleys Point Secondary railroad line before reaching the exit for White Horse Pike (US 30) near its intersection of Clements Bridge Road/Highland Avenue (Route 41/CR 573).[2][8]
The road fully enters Barrington before crossing into Lawnside, where it comes to a southbound exit and northbound entrance serving Warwick Road (CR 669). After this, I-295 curves northeast and passes through a corner of Tavistock before entering Haddonfield and coming to a trumpet interchange providing access to Woodcrest Station along the PATCO Speedline. At this point, the road becomes closely parallel to the New Jersey Turnpike to the southeast. The highway crosses into Cherry Hill and passes over the tracks carrying the PATCO Speedline and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line before it reaches the exit for Haddonfield-Berlin Road (CR 561). The roadway runs through wooded areas with suburban neighborhoods to the west and the New Jersey Turnpike to the east as it comes to a cloverleaf interchange at Route 70. Past this, the highway curves north farther west from the turnpike.[2][8]
