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If you're not from the Northeast you probably don't even understand my question, but here goes anyone. Basically for anyone who drives between cities in the BosWash corridor or cities further north to cities further south. We all know about the infamous I-95 gap in NJ (Interstate 95 in New Jersey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). When you're traveling and you're traveling through/bypassing Philadelphia, do you still take I-95 through Philadelphia, despite the fact you have to exit off and back on, or do you bypass PA entirely by taking the Delaware Memorial Bridge and New Jersey Turnpike?
Now for the second part of the question. We all know that I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike intersect but there's currently no connection. I don't know when, but at some point in the future a connection will be built, so I-95 will be a continuous route. When this happens, if you don't already, will you take I-95 through Philly as opposed to the Del Mar Bridge/NJ Tpk?
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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I-95 gets lost upon itself somewhere up around Trenton with this bizarre gap and missing link between the Northern Philly burbs and whereever I-95 gets redesignated again on the NJ Turnpike in Northern Jersey. There is a spur highway in NE Philly that connects to US 1 and then interchanges to the PA Turnpike crossing the Delaware River and eventually linking to the NJ Turnpike. That's a way I've gone before but if I just want to get back to Mass in less time then over the Delaware Bridge is the way to go. I think it's really strange how they didn't build an I-95/PA turnpike interchange and have 95 follow that into Jersey eons ago.
Pennsylvania doesn't seemingly get along nicely with the US DOT which is the only explanation for lack of planning. Another example is the weird alignment of I-676 which terminates eastbound before you reach the Ben Franklin Bridge and results in traffic being dumped onto surface streets before you reach the bridge. The same occurs coming across from New Jersey, where traffic westbound is dumped into city streets before I-676 resumes westbound.
I am sure the great majority of people coming from the north stay on the turnpike because it is all they know. Also I-95 through Philly is not the clear sailing that it once was so it isn’t necessarily better unless the turnpike is shut down and then you still have I-295 as an alternate
The NJ Turnpike is faster and imagine most people take this route. Oddly this gives a wierd perspective on the developed space bewtween NYC and Philly as it travels East of Philly and misses the majority of the developed space. I imagine even after the connector is completed people will still use the NJ Turnpike and link back with 95 South of Wilmington DE. Personally when going to North Jersey or NYC I take 95 North to the Betsy to 90 to 73 and get on the NJ Turnpike off of 73, fastest from Philly but the DE Memorial is faster for points South when coming from NYC to get to Baltimore or DC
Prior to lving in Philly, I always took the DMB and NJT. It is clearly marked as the route to take when heading south to DC or north to NY. Now that I live in Philly, I'll need to find another route when driving to New England.
As for taking the "completed" 95, I'll cross that bridge if and when it happens. Assuming it does, it will depend on how it's configured. Fastest route always rules.
I think 99.999999 times out of 100, "through" traffic is going to take the NJ Tpk over I-95 through Philadelphia. Long, long ago (in the days before GPS, google map apps, etc) I tried it, assuming there'd be clear guide signs showing how to get onto the NJTpk north, but there weren't any, and I got completely turned around. I forget exactly where I went wrong, but I ended up on US 1 in Trenton. I saw signs for "Newark" and assumed 1 would lead me to the Turnpike or something. Boy was I surprised when I soon ended up in New Brunswick, thinking "how the heck did I end up here?"
Anyway, I think a good question to piggyback on this one is how many "through" travelers hop off the Turnpike and onto 295 in South Jersey?
Edit: Once the connection project is done, I'll try it once or twice to check it out, but the route-miles and congestion odds will still favor the NJTpk for most of my trips south.
I think 99.999999 times out of 100, "through" traffic is going to take the NJ Tpk over I-95 through Philadelphia. Long, long ago (in the days before GPS, google map apps, etc) I tried it, assuming there'd be clear guide signs showing how to get onto the NJTpk north, but there weren't any, and I got completely turned around. I forget exactly where I went wrong, but I ended up on US 1 in Trenton. I saw signs for "Newark" and assumed 1 would lead me to the Turnpike or something. Boy was I surprised when I soon ended up in New Brunswick, thinking "how the heck did I end up here?"
Anyway, I think a good question to piggyback on this one is how many "through" travelers hop off the Turnpike and onto 295 in South Jersey?
Edit: Once the connection project is done, I'll try it once or twice to check it out, but the route-miles and congestion odds will still favor the NJTpk for most of my trips south.
I would say if traveling to points South (Balt/DC etc.) the Turnpike to the Del Memorial Bridge will still be faster. The Turnpike connector likely will take you 15 miles out of the way and 95 through can be backed up depending on time etc.
If you really want to go through Philly take NJ Turnpike exit 4 to 73 east to 90 to the Betsy Ross Bridge and onto 95 South.
As far as 295, You can get off at exit 7 for 195 to 295 South. Issue with 295 is the interchange with 42 which can be a disaster, especially in the summer with Shore traffic making their way to the AC expressway but it does save some tolls.
And believe you are correct that construction has begun
I take the NJ Turnpike when going from Maryland to New York City.
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