Editing New Jersey Route 55 (section)

==History==
[[File:2018-08-07 18 32 44 View north along New Jersey State Route 55 (Cape May Expressway) just north of New Jersey State Route 47 in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|View north at the south end of Route 55 at Route 47 in Maurice River Township]]
Following the completion of the [[Walt Whitman Bridge]] in the 1950s, two controlled-access [[toll road]]s were proposed to connect the bridge to [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] and to [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]].<ref name=nyt>{{cite news |last=Weart |first=William D. |title=Bridge is Opened at Philadelphia|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 16, 1957}}</ref> In 1962, the New Jersey Expressway Authority Act was signed into law. This act created the [[New Jersey Expressway Authority]], which was to manage both the [[Atlantic City Expressway|Atlantic City]] and Cape May expressways.<ref name=njea>{{cite book|title=Atlantic City Expressway: Engineering Report|publisher=[[New Jersey Expressway Authority]]|year=1962}}</ref>

While the [[Atlantic City Expressway]] was completed by the authority in 1965, the Cape May Expressway was turned over to the state about this time.<ref name=sjtahistory>{{cite web|publisher=[[South Jersey Transportation Authority]]|url=http://www.acexpressway.com/acexpressway/history.asp|title=Atlantic City Expressway – History & Milestones|access-date=October 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612175255/http://www.acexpressway.com/acexpressway/history.asp|archive-date=June 12, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=nj1964>{{cite book|publisher=State of New Jersey|title=Laws of 1964, Chapter&nbsp;16.|page=37}}</ref> The Cape May Expressway was designated Route&nbsp;55 and legislated to run from [[U.S. Route 130|US&nbsp;130]] in [[Westville, New Jersey|Westville]] to [[U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey|US&nbsp;9]] near [[Cape May Court House, New Jersey|Cape May Court House]].<ref name=nj1964/> This proposed freeway was projected to cost $90&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US|90000000|1965|r=0}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) and be completed in 1975.<ref name=dvrpc>{{cite book|title=1985 Regional Transportation Plan|publisher=[[Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission]] |year=1969}}</ref>

In 1969, the first segment of Route&nbsp;55 opened between Maurice River Township and the Vineland-Millville border, connecting to Route&nbsp;47 at both ends.<ref name="chevron">{{cite map|publisher=[[Chevron Oil Company]]|title= Map of New Jersey |year=1969|cartography=[[H.M. Gousha]]}}</ref><ref name="esso">{{cite map|publisher=[[Esso]]|title= Map of New Jersey |year=1970|cartography=[[General Drafting]]}}</ref> In the 1970s, the planned northern terminus of Route&nbsp;55 was moved to Route&nbsp;42 in Deptford. The portion of Route&nbsp;55 between Route&nbsp;47 in Millville and US&nbsp;40 in Franklin Township was completed in the mid-1970s while the portion between US&nbsp;40 and Route&nbsp;42 was completed in October 1989.<ref name=tdj3>{{cite news|last=Fuhrmann|first=Doug|access-date=September 10, 2009|title=Local history: Route&nbsp;55|newspaper=The Daily Journal|date=March 1, 2009|url=http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20090301/NEWS01/90404015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204071725/http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20090301/NEWS01/90404015|archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name="exxon1976">{{cite map|publisher=[[Exxon]]|title= Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia |year=1976 |cartography=General Drafting}}</ref><ref name=nyt2>{{cite news |access-date=September 9, 2009|title=New Jersey Will Buy 1,000 Acres to Preserve Farmland |newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 30, 1999 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/30/nyregion/new-jersey-will-buy-1000-acres-to-preserve-farmland.html}}</ref> The Route&nbsp;55 freeway has been instrumental in bringing economic development to southern New Jersey. The most common use of the highway is as a commuting route northward to [[Philadelphia]]. Following its completion, residential development in the southern part of Gloucester County has increased.<ref name=nyt2/>

While the freeway was under construction in 1983, it was discovered that it ran through Native American burial grounds in Deptford. This revelation led to unsuccessful lawsuits to cease construction of the route. After the lawsuits, a couple of incidents happened to construction workers, including a construction worker being run over by an asphalt truck, another being blown off a bridge by strong winds, and a van carrying five construction workers randomly erupting into flames.<ref name=tdj3/>

[[File:2020-07-12 12 13 35 View north along New Jersey State Route 55 (Cape May Expressway) at Exit 39A (U.S. Route 40 EAST, Malaga) in Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|Route&nbsp;55 northbound at the US&nbsp;40 interchange in Franklin Township]]
Meanwhile, the portion of freeway south of Route&nbsp;47 in Maurice River Township was not yet built. In 1972, NJDOT wanted to provide adequate access to the [[Cape May Peninsula]] by extending the freeway southeast from the current terminus to the [[Garden State Parkway]] in [[Middle Township, New Jersey|Middle Township]].<ref name=NJDOT1972>{{cite book|title=Master Plan for Transportation|publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation |year=1972}}</ref> NJDOT conducted an environmental study on this proposal in 1975. The route was projected to cost $155&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US|155000000|1975|r=0}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) and be finished by 1995.<ref name=NJDOT1975>{{cite book|title=New Jersey Route&nbsp;55, Administrative Action Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Statement |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] and New Jersey Department of Transportation |year=1975}}</ref> Plans resurfaced for a southern extension in 1993 when a feasibility study was conducted to see if the extension of Route&nbsp;55 could be built. This study, which estimated the extension would cost between $423&nbsp;million and $483&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US|423000000|1993|r=0}}}} and ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US|483000000|1993|r=0}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}), concluded that the road should not be built because it crossed too many [[wetlands]].<ref name=nyt3>{{cite news|last=Mansnerus|first=Laura|access-date=September 9, 2009|title=Road and Rail; Seeking a Line in the Sand|newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 7, 2000 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/07/nyregion/road-and-rail-seeking-a-line-in-the-sand.html?scp=1&sq=new%20jersey%20%22route%2055%22&st=cse}}</ref>

The Route&nbsp;55 freeway, like many other highways in New Jersey, once had solar-powered emergency [[call box]]es every mile (about 1.6&nbsp;km); the use of the call boxes became limited due to the increasing popularity of cell phones. To save on maintenance costs, NJDOT removed these call boxes in 2005.<ref name=pressac>{{cite news|last=Barlas|first=Thomas|title= Last call for N.J.'s roadside call boxes|newspaper=[[The Press of Atlantic City]]|date=February 28, 2007}}</ref>

Despite the fact that the southern extension was held up for decades, it was revisited due to the disturbing images of [[Hurricane Katrina]] and [[Hurricane Rita]] in 2005 in the Gulf states. Route&nbsp;55 could have been extended in order to provide a proper evacuation route for [[Cape May Peninsula]] and surrounding area.<ref name=tdj>{{cite news|date=September 27, 2005|title=Route&nbsp;55 Southern Extension|newspaper=The Daily Journal|location=Vineland, N.J.}}</ref> In addition, traffic jams along Route&nbsp;47 during the summer also led to a possible revival of the proposal.<ref name=nyt3/> There were efforts and studies to consider finishing the remaining {{convert|20|mi|km}} of the missing freeway.<ref name=tdj2>{{cite news|first=Joseph P.|last=Smith|title=Lawmakers again tackle Rt.&nbsp;55 tie-ups|newspaper=The Daily Journal|location=Vineland, N.J.|date=March 14, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdcnj.com/WSCRSP/WSCRSP%20Final%208.30.05%20Pg%2051-62%20Regional%20PIA.pdf|format=PDF|title=Regional Planning and Implementation Agenda|access-date=March 17, 2007|pages=3,&nbsp;7|publisher=Western/Southern Cumberland Region Strategic Plan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/S0500/293_I1.PDF|format=PDF|title=Legislation for Route&nbsp;55 Extension|publisher=[[New Jersey Legislature]]|access-date=December 19, 2009}}</ref>

In 2009, State Senator [[Jeff Van Drew]] introduced a plan for an extension of Route&nbsp;55 into Cape May County where the [[South Jersey Transportation Authority]] would build the road. In order to reduce the impact on the environment, the freeway would have been elevated.<ref name=cmch>{{cite news|last=Campbell|first=Al|access-date=September 10, 2009|title=Elevated Rt.&nbsp;55 Will Be Project For Authority|newspaper=[[Cape May County Herald]]|date=August 26, 2009|url=http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/53781-elevated+rt.+55+will+be+project+authority}}</ref> The extension of Route&nbsp;55 would have been tolled.<ref name=sunbeam>{{cite news|last=Barna|first=John|access-date=September 10, 2009|title=Route&nbsp;55 expansion debate revived|newspaper=[[Today's Sunbeam]]|date=July 26, 2009|url=http://www.nj.com/sunbeam/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1248590422263510.xml&coll=9}}</ref> This effort followed two years of failed attempts for a feasibility study to relieve traffic on Route&nbsp;47.<ref name=app>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Joseph P.|access-date=September 27, 2009|title=Route&nbsp;55 extension may get big backer|newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]]|date=July 19, 2009|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/app/access/1796053571.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+19%2C+2009&author=JOSEPH+P+SMITH&pub=Asbury+Park+Press&edition=&startpage=n%2Fa&desc=Route+55+extension+may+get+big+backer|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630042350/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/app/access/1796053571.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+19,+2009&author=JOSEPH+P+SMITH&pub=Asbury+Park+Press&edition=&startpage=n/a&desc=Route+55+extension+may+get+big+backer|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 30, 2013}}</ref>

However, all of these efforts faced considerable environmental opposition, which has been successful in blocking these plans, which were estimated to cost as much as $2&nbsp;billion.<ref name=nyt3/><ref name=tjs>{{cite web|access-date=December 30, 2009|last=Jewell|first=Douglas|title=Election Time means …the Route&nbsp;55 Extension is back on the table|work=The Jersey Sierran|publisher=[[Sierra Club]]|date=October–December 2009|url=http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/njs_sierran/Sierran_09D_Supplement.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720204054/http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/njs_sierran/Sierran_09D_Supplement.pdf|archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>