Norcross, local officials break ground on long-awaited third lane for Atlantic City Expressway

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP – Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) yesterday joined local and state officials to break ground on the construction of a third lane for the Atlantic City Expressway (ACE) in Gloucester and Camden counties. Upon completion, it will be the culmination of a broader highway widening project that began in 2008.

“Safer roads and less waiting in traffic are goals everyone can get behind, regardless of their political stripes,” Norcross said. “The Atlantic City Expressway is one of the most heavily used roads for residents and visitors of South Jersey alike. I’ve suffered through its congestion my whole life, and have been advocating for its widening since my days in the state legislature. I’m extremely excited to see this long-needed improvement project finally break ground.”

The Atlantic City Expressway runs between Washington Township and Atlantic City, connecting the Philadelphia metro area with the Southern Jersey Shore. Despite serving as the primary roadway for an average of 45,000 daily residents and visitors alike, the highway suffers the second lowest “level of service” grade possible from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and sees a significant number of crashes annually – particularly around the Route 42 interchange.

To relieve congestion and make the ACE safer, the state constructed a third lane in the section closest to Atlantic City between 2008 and 2014. Planning for the northern section to be widened began in 2022, and is expected to be completed in three phases between 2029 and 2031 at the cost of roughly $400 million.

Benefits of the new lane will include fewer accidents due to the freer flow of traffic, reduced air and noise pollution, and faster travel times across the region.

Norcross’ advocacy for road safety dates back to his service in the state legislature. In addition to his longstanding calls for the northern portion of the ACE to be widened, in 2011, he introduced legislation that would raise fines on drivers who created unsafe traffic patterns by failing to return to the right lane of the highway after passing another driver. Norcross’ bill was signed into law in 2013.