Editing New Jersey Route 42 (section)

==Future==
[[File:2024-04-30 14 43 18 View north along New Jersey State Route 42 (North-South Freeway) at Exit 14A (Interstate 295 SOUTH, Delaware Memorial Bridge) in Runnemede, Camden County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|The ramp from Route 42 northbound to I-295 southbound opened in November 2023]]
In 2013, NJDOT broke ground on a project to construct a straighter roadway for I-295 near the Route&nbsp;42 interchange.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2013/03/i-295_route_42_interchange_pro.html |title = I-295, Route 42 interchange project breaks ground |work = NJ.com |date = 12 March 2013 |access-date = April 3, 2013 }}</ref> This project, dubbed the I-295/I-76/Route&nbsp;42 Direct Connection, will reconstruct the dangerous and congested Route&nbsp;42/I-295/I-76 interchange, which currently requires traffic on I-295 to use {{convert|35|mph|km/h|adj=on}} ramps that merge onto the North&ndash;South Freeway for a short distance, among a series of other indirect connections.<ref name=njdotstip>{{cite web |url = http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/roads/rt295/ |title = I-295/I-76/Route 42 Direct Connection |publisher = [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] |access-date = April 3, 2013 }}</ref> In 2007, "Alternative D" for the reconstructed interchange was selected, calling for I-295 to cross over the North&ndash;South Freeway. This interchange was projected to cost $900&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|900000000|2014}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2013/02/interstate_295_interchange_pro.html |title = I-295, Route 42 interchange problems began in the 1950s |date = 25 February 2013 |publisher = NJ.com |access-date = March 17, 2014 }}</ref> The project is being constructed in four phases<ref name="Trethan 2021">{{cite web | last=Trethan | first=Phaedra | title=Direct Connection: What is it, when did it begin and when will it end? | website=Cherry Hill Courier-Post | date=March 27, 2021 | url=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/2021/03/27/direct-connection-what-when-did-begin-and-when-end-traffic-i-295-route-42-676-south-jersey-njdot/7011878002/ | access-date=November 26, 2022}}</ref> and was originally scheduled to be complete in 2021.<ref name=dvrpc>{{cite web |url = http://www.dvrpc.org/LongRangePlan/Final/Destination2030_Transportation.pdf |title = Destination 2030 |publisher = [[Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission]] |access-date = August 15, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928051143/http://www.dvrpc.org/LongRangePlan/Final/Destination2030_Transportation.pdf |archive-date = September 28, 2007 }}</ref> However, delays in construction, including the collapse of a [[retaining wall]] on March 25, 2021, pushed the expected completion date to 2028.<ref name=InquirerRetWall>{{cite news |url=https://www.inquirer.com./transportation/interstates-295-76-route-42-interchange-south-jersey-retaining-wall-collapse-20211019.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506212647/https://www.inquirer.com./transportation/interstates-295-76-route-42-interchange-south-jersey-retaining-wall-collapse-20211019.html |archivedate=May 6, 2022 |date=October 19, 2021 |title=New clues on cause of retaining wall collapse in South Jersey highway construction |first=Thomas |last=Fitzgerald |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |accessdate=May 21, 2022}}</ref>{{Update after|2028}}

On May 12, 2009, New Jersey Governor [[Jon Corzine|Jon S. Corzine]] and the [[Delaware River Port Authority]], the agency which manages the [[PATCO Speedline]], announced plans for a [[Camden-Philadelphia BRT]] (bus rapid transit system) along the Route 42 freeway and the adjacent Route 55 freeway as part of a comprehensive transportation plan for South Jersey<ref name=drpa>{{cite web|url=http://www.drpa.org/projects/regtran/|title=Regional Transportation & Economic Development Initiative|publisher=[[Delaware River Port Authority]]|access-date=June 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326154621/http://drpa.org/projects/regtran/|archive-date=March 26, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> that would include a diesel light rail line called the [[Glassboro–Camden Line]] between Camden and Glassboro, improvements to [[NJ Transit]]'s [[Atlantic City Line]], and enhanced connections to the [[Atlantic City International Airport]].<ref name=drpa2>{{cite web|url=http://www.drpa.org/content.asp?page=News&param=2&ItemNumber=3077|title=Light Rail Extension Moves Forward - Gov Corzine Supports Multimodal Regional Initiative To Boost Mobility & Economic Development|date=May 12, 2009|publisher=[[Delaware River Port Authority]]|access-date=June 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128150614/http://www.drpa.org/content.asp?page=News&param=2&ItemNumber=3077|archive-date=January 28, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There have been suggestions to construct an interchange with the [[New Jersey Turnpike]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://42freeway.com/roads/2-billion-nj-turnpike-widening-for-exits-1-4-and-local-officials-want-a-route-42-connector/ | title=$2 Billion NJ Turnpike Widening for Exits 1-4, and Local Officials Want a Route 42 Connector | date=January 26, 2023 }}</ref>