The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced a series of major traffic pattern changes would be implemented this weekend, effectively eliminating the existing Route 70/73 Marlton Circle configuration in Evesham Township, Burlington County. The temporarily realigned intersection will be established by Monday morning, May 3.
In order to eliminate the traffic circle, NJDOT will activate three new temporary traffic signals at the realigned intersections of Route 70 with Route 73, the Route 73 northbound/West Main Street ramp to Route 70 eastbound and westbound, and Old Marlton Pike with Center Boulevard. Activating the traffic signals will allow NJDOT to create a temporary at-grade intersection to handle traffic as construction efforts are focused on elevating the profile of Route 73 and constructing the new bridge/overpass over Route 70. The new traffic pattern will remain in place for approximately one year, at which time Route 73 traffic will be shifted onto the new overpass.
During this stage of construction NJDOT will shift both highways and local roads onto new alignments and incorporate new turning movements at the intersection as follows:
n Route 73 will be shifted to the west, maintaining two lanes in each direction. A new double left-turn movement will be put in place from Route 73 southbound to Route 70 eastbound.
n Route 70 eastbound will remain within the current alignment while Route 70 westbound will be shifted to the south. Two travel lanes on Route 70 will be maintained in each direction as well.
n New double left-turn movements will be installed from Route 70 to Route 73 in both directions.
n Route 73 northbound and West Main Street westbound traffic heading to Route 70 will be directed to the existing slip ramp featuring double left-turn lanes to Route 70 westbound and a single right-turn lane to Route 70 eastbound.
N NJDOT will open the new ramp from Route 70 eastbound to West Main Street eastbound as well as the new portion of Center Boulevard from north of Old Marlton Pike to a new service road.
The $63 million interchange improvement project is eliminating the existing traffic circle and replacing it with a new overpass carrying Route 73 over Route 70. The two highways will be connected via the construction of new local exit and entrance ramps. The Marlton Circle elimination project began in April 2009 and remains on schedule for completion in winter 2011.
Variable message signs are in place on Route 70 and 73 to inform motorists of all planned changes in traffic operations during construction. Construction information and real-time traffic updates are available at www.nj511.info
