A reader wants to know if hairpin curve in an exit ramp that drivers have to take in South Amboy to stay on Route 9 south will be made safer. Ask @CommutingLarry. Watch video
It's one thing to get a written question from a reader about fixing a Route 9 south exit ramp with a hairpin turn, but it's a real indication of how bad the problem is when they send photographs to illustrate it.
South of the Raritan River, Route 9 and 35 become the same highway, until drivers have to take an exit, with a sharp curve, in South Amboy to continue on Route 9 south.
"The whole area is a traffic nightmare," wrote a reader, who included Google Earth photos to illustrate the problems they regularly encounter.
Drivers, who are unfamiliar with how Route 9 south suddenly splits off get little warning that they have to exit to the right to stay on the highway. The road was recently repaved, but our reader questioned why it wasn't painted with "exit lane only" as was done for a similar lane from Route 9 to an exit to Route 440 to end the confusion.
"There is one small sign that reads right lane for exit only, about a quarter mile prior to the actual exit, but (it says) nothing about the lane ending," our reader wrote. "All the time, people make a last minute lane change to get out of the sudden exit lane. Several accidents have occurred here."
Complicating that is the combined highways narrow from four to three to two lanes prior to where Routes 9 and 35 split. Narrow overpasses, which are so old that they have "State Route 4" cast in the cornerstone, are also contribute to the problem, he said.
Q: Are there any plans to replace the overpasses? Why wasn't the roadway painted with "exit lane only" before the Route 9 south turnoff? Are there plans to build a better exit ramp to Route 9 south?
A: State Department of Transportation officials said they're aware of the issues on what DOT spokesman Kevin Israel called a "challenging exit"
Officials are working on a the concept phase for a future project to address the exit and merge issues.
Part of the proposal would do what our reader suggested, to restripe Route 35 south, beginning at the Raritan Street interchange, to designate the right lane as an exit only lane to Route 9 south, Israel said. The left lane would be painted to tell drivers it's for through traffic to Route 35 south, he said.
Overhead signs would also direct motorists to the appropriate lane, Israel said.
Some changes also are planned for the ramp to Route 9 south to make it less of a sharp corner.
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"We will eliminate the deceleration lane, allowing us to increase the ramp radius, reducing the hairpin effect experienced on the current ramp," Israel said. "The ramp will be wider and meet the current roadway design standards, while eliminating the existing sharp curve radius.
To do that will require replacing and widening an overpass, and new ramp from Routes 9/35 south to Route 9 south will remain one lane, he said. However, since the proposal is in the concept stage, don't expect construction to happen immediately.
The long and winding road or railroad is often filled with questions, which we try and answer for you. We have gotten answers to questions about when damaged toll booths will reopen on the Turnpike or when will NJ Transits biggest light rail line be extended to Bergen County.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.