2 years later, end is finally near for work at awful intersection in Galloway Twp., NJ

Two years after plans were announced to improve an awful intersection in Galloway Township, work there (finally) appears to be coming to an end.

News snapshot

• Work began in January 2023 on this part of Route 30
• 27 months later, it appears to be ending
• This intersection will feature a first for drivers in New Jersey

2 years of work at Cologne Ave. and Route 30 in Galloway

At the beginning of 2023, it was announced that construction was going to start to improve Cologne Avenue at the White Horse Pike, the scene of countless nasty accidents over the years.

That intersection is particularly dangerous because there are no turn lanes from Route 30 onto Cologne, which means turning traffic has to stop in the left lane of either direction of the White Horse Pike. Rather short green turn arrows don't allow many cars to make that movement.

That problem, among others, was going to be finally addressed as plans from the NJDOT included reconfiguring the lanes on Route 30 to create dedicated turn lanes, along with new traffic signals, street lights, and ramps for pedestrians debuting at that intersection.

Those plans were expected to be done in the fall of 2023.

So on January 23rd of that year, as part of $4 million worth of federally-funded work across South Jersey, work began with the installation of signs and the deployment of countless traffic barrels and cones.

From there, utility work was done, and those promised new traffic signals were erected. Things seemed to be moving right along. And then all of the work there seemed to stop abruptly.

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The new traffic lights that went up remained covered, hanging over the parking lots of businesses at that corner instead of over those two roads. No new lines were painted on Route 30, which means those turn lanes never materialized.

Work to resume on Route 30 in Galloway - finally

Now, in April 2025, it seems like work is not only ready to restart, but there might finally be an end in sight.

The NJDOT says the Route 30/Cologne Avenue intersection is scheduled to be closed and detoured starting this Tuesday night, April 8th, at 8:00 through 6 AM the following morning as that "improvement project nears completion."

Big changes on Route 30 in Galloway

When the intersection reopens, there will be big changes on Route 30.

Currently, two lanes of traffic carry Route 30 through the intersection in both directions. With the new configuration, eastbound Route 30 will be restriped to three lanes at the intersection, with one lane for vehicles turning left (towards Bulldog's Bar). Route 30 westbound will continue to carry two lanes, but one will only be for turning.

This is a rough idea of what that intersection will look like...

Yes, westbound Route 30 will be reduced to one lane for thru traffic at Cologne Avenue.

Flashing yellow arrow to debut

Another improvement will be a flashing yellow arrow, the first on a state highway in New Jersey.

What do you do at a flashing yellow arrow?

According to the NJDOT,

The new traffic signal for the dedicated left turn lanes [on Route 30] will feature four signal heads – a red arrow, a solid yellow arrow, a flashing yellow arrow, and a green arrow. There will be a dedicated left turn phase, indicated by a green arrow. The flashing yellow arrow allows motorists to yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians before proceeding to turn left. The solid yellow arrow means slow down and prepare to stop, and the red arrow means stop.

Officials say their planned work is weather-dependent, and luckily, the forecast calls for clear skies Tuesday night.