Atlantic County, NJ’s Worst Traffic Problems and Easy Fixes

The next time you're driving in Atlantic County, ponder for a moment about how difficult it is to get around here.

Sure, we have big highways like the Black and White Horse Pikes, the Atlantic City Expressway, the Parkway, and whatnot, but a lot has changed over the past few decades, while our infrastructure has not. So, let's look at some choke points and how they can be fixed.

English Creek Ave. or Delilah Road

As someone who drives across the county six days a week (or more), I have long argued that there needs to be another way to get over the Expressway in either EHT or Hamilton Township.

Either English Creek Avenue needs to be reconnected (it was severed when the ACX was built in the 1960s) or Delilah Road needs to go over. That would alleviate a lot of the backups along the Black Horse Pike between English Creek and the Hamilton Mall.

Time to Close the Median Openings in EHT

I've also called the one-mile stretch of the Black Horse Pike in EHT between Spruce Avenue and the old Cardiff Circle the most infuriating section of road in the entire state, simply because of all of the stupid median openings that should have been replaced with turn lanes a long time ago.

West Jersey Avenue

If you've ever sat in traffic on Route 40 in Mays Landing between New York and Cologne Avenues, you have to wonder why West Jersey Avenue wasn't extended to connect to Babcock Road near the county courthouse.

If West Jersey Avenue connected to Babcock Road, you could continue on Atlantic Avenue all the way up to near The Inn at Sugar Hill, completely bypassing Route 40.

Parkway Exit 36 & Shore Mall

If you remember when the Shore Mall was still a mall, there was a big push to modify the Exit 36 ramp off the Garden State Parkway to allow traffic to directly enter the mall's parking lot from that ramp. That never happened, so this remains one of those "you can't get there from here" traffic situations in EHT.

You Can't Make a Left

And speaking of the old Shore Mall, wouldn't it be great if you could make a simple left turn either onto the Pike or Tilton Road? Even when the latest round of road construction is done, you still won't be able to make a left.

Hungry? Good Luck

If you've driven eastbound on the Pike in EHT, you can see JJ's Diner, but you can't easily get there thanks to the removal of the Cardiff Circle a number of years ago. Bring back the circle!!

No U-turns near Hamilton Mall

If you're driving eastbound on the Black Horse Pike and want to make a U-turn near Hamilton Mall, good luck.

You can't make a U-turn at Leipzig, you can't make a U-turn at the mall entrance by Red Lobster, you can't make a U-turn where Route 40 comes in, you can't make a U-turn from the Wrangleboro Road jughandle, and you can't make a U-turn at Hamilton Commons. Technically, you have to go all the way down to McKee Avenue to make a U-turn. Why?!

No Left Leaving Acme

Another area where you can't make a left turn is leaving Acme in Mays Landing.

You can over by McDonald's, but that area always backs up and the green light is way too short in many cases.

Getting to Aldi in Egg Harbor Township

If you are driving eastbound on the Black Horse Pike in EHT, you can see Aldi (and soon, a new 7Brew Coffee), but you can't get there.

You can't make a left to get to Aldi, so most people do what I do -- you turn onto Tower Ave. and make the quasi-illegal U-turn by the gas station to get across.

And when it's time to leave -- stop me if you've heard this before -- you can't make a left nor go straight. Why?!

Change the Airport Circle

We've all been stuck in traffic at the NAFEC/airport circle in EHT. And let's be honest, when they "made it better" over a decade ago, it actually got a lot worse. The circle could be replaced by a very simple, standard four-way intersection if one change was made -- have all of the airport traffic exit through Aviation Research Blvd.

If exiting Amelia Earhart Blvd. traffic couldn't access the circle, then Tilton Rd. could intersect Delilah Rd. like any other four-way intersection.

Of course, years ago, there was also talk about Exit 9 on the Expressway more directly connecting to the airport, but that never happened, either.

Chris Coleman, a South Jersey native, is the brand manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM and afternoon on-air personality on WPUR Cat Country 107.3 in Atlantic City, NJ. He joined the station in February 1998 and covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey for Townsquare Media. Story tips can be sent to chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com .