Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardA South Jersey gym is suing Bellmawr for $10 million over COVID-19 shutdownFrank Trumbetti
says Bellmawr officials retaliated against him because of his statements against COVID-19 business closures
Atilis Gym owner Frank Trumbetti is accusing Bellmawr’s mayor
six current and former borough council members
and other officials of having violated his First Amendment rights and denied him due process when issuing citations against his gym and revoking his mercantile license
Trumbetti says he is owed millions in damages because local government officials violated his civil rights
The <a class="relative z-1 text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" data-link-type="article-body" class="text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.njd.567006/gov.uscourts.njd.567006.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.njd.567006/gov.uscourts.njd.567006.1.0.pdf">complaint</a> says Atilis Gym angered borough officials because he became “an international symbol of defiance against
“Once that becomes government’s motivation
that calls into question everything else,” said John McCann
becoming a local battleground against business closures
McCann said that Atilis Gym paid the state fines and that the borough overreached when it became involved
“It was unnecessary piling on by the local government,” the attorney said
as well as becoming a “rallying place” for a Republican candidate for U.S
Bellmawr  Council member James D’Angello urged his peers to take action against the facility
noting Trumbetti’s comments about police officers and the attention surrounding the conflict
now the seven of us here have to make decision on a circus that is continually going through this town,” the council member said
who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit
Because the gym lost its mercantile license
The lawsuit claims the borough officials also targeted the gym‘s landlord
The owner of a Bellmawr gym who repeatedly defied New Jersey's COVID restrictions has filed a civil rights lawsuit seeking $10 million from the borough and local officials
contends that he faced illegal retaliation from borough leaders and malicious prosecution for his strident opposition to Gov
Phil Murphy's emergency measures during the pandemic
Trumbetti's 33-page complaint asserts that officials violated his First Amendment right to free expression and that they denied him due process in revoking the gym's business license
COVID-era fines: <a href=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2023/03/17/bellmawr-nj-atilis-gym-covid-19-fines-appeal-ian-smith/70013932007/ rel=noreferrer target=_blank>Atilis Gym in Bellmawr ordered to pay $124K</a>
Trumbetti's lawyer says "local officials resented his independence and wanted him to comply because they didn’t like the attention they felt he was bringing into their town
Frank will prevail," attorney John McCann said of the suit filed April 24 in Camden federal court
In December 2021, however, a state judge in Camden <a href=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/2021/12/13/atilis-gym-bellmawr-murphy-pandemic-restrictions-defiance/6469149001/>rejected many of Trumbetti's arguments</a> in a similar challenge
An appeals court last year upheld that ruling
The appellate panel said Bellmawr officials revoked the gym's license in response to repeated violations of a judge's order and COVID restrictions "meant to protect public safety during a widespread health emergency."
Among other actions, it notes, Trumbetti and former partner Ian Smith removed the gym's front door to prevent state health officials from locking it and separately <a href=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/2020/07/31/atilis-gym-bellmawr-smith-trumbetti-murphy-coronavirus/5555541002/>kicked in a plywood barrier</a> to enter the business in defiance of a court order
The appellate ruling found no evidence that Trumbetti and Smith were denied due process or were punished for their public statements or for noisy protests by flag-waving supporters at the Browning Road gym
It also said Bellmawr officials' revocation of the gym's business license had not violated the owners' ciivil rights under state law
The rulings did not address Trumbetti's claim in the new lawsuit of malicious prosecution
Defendants include Bellmawr Mayor Chuck Sauter
council members who voted to revoke the gym's license
borough police officers and municipal solicitor Howard Long
They declined to comment on pending litigation
The lawsuit notes the pandemic's personal impact on the gym owner
It says Trumbetti invested his life's savings to buy the gym and an accompanying business
"a few short months" before Murphy ordered gyms to close in March 2020 as part of an effort to curb COVID's spread
along with actions such as masking and social distancing
as "ineffective public health measures," the suit adds
77-year-old Luci Trumbetti of Williamstown
Frank’s mother went into the hospital with one condition
she should have been protected," McCann says in his email
"All Atilis and its volunteers wanted was for people to stay healthy and safe."
Trumbetti's claim of malicious prosecution centers on 34 complaints issued to Atilis Gym for operating without a business license on various dates in August and December 2020 and in January and February in 2021
The suit argues that the complaints were issued improperly because
while Bellmawr's mayor and council voted to revoke the license in August 2020
they did not approve a memorializing resolution until May 2021
the suit contends that Bellmawr officials lacked authority to issue the complaints
arguing that the state regulates health clubs
The complaints were moved in August 2021 to Winslow municipal court
where Judge Carol Fabietti dismissed all charges at Trumbetti's request in March 2024
Fabietti found Bellmawr officials had "failed to cooperate with (Winslow's) municipal court and prosecutors for over three years." She also ruled that Bellmawr officials lacked the authority to cite the gym for operating without a license
The latest dispute follows legal battles with the New Jersey Department of Health
which led a Superior Court judge in Trenton to uphold fines of almost $275,000 in December 2021
have donated more than $530,000 to support its fight
The new suit's demand for $10 million represents "damages we believe we can prove in court," McCann says
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post
Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal
<a href="https://42freeway.com/news/jalsa-indian-kitchen-to-bring-indias-tastes-sights-and-sounds-to-somerdale/"></a>
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First <a href="https://42freeway.com/news/bellmawr-super-wawa-is-open-10-pics-interesting-changes/">opened in 2015</a> as a Super Wawa with gas
the Bellmawr Wawa on Creek Road reopened this morning after a full interior remodel
making it the first store of this new prototype.&nbsp; For today only this Creek Road store is offering free coffee (Friday Nov 22
The new design offers a more modern looking shopping experience&hellip; but clearly the underlying theme is a more spacious layout with better workflow for both customers and food preparation staff
tied to not only what customers are purchasing but also HOW they are purchasing
While this is the only store with this new design
we can assume that based on it&rsquo;s success we see more remodels to come
Honestly the prior store layout felt very cluttered
difficult to move around and just a poor &ldquo;flow&rdquo;
Previously there was minimal space for customers to comfortably wait the few minutes it sometimes takes to receive their fresh prepared food order
It seems this new design solves all of those challenges
The Bellmawr Wawa absolutely feels more open today but is also brighter
&nbsp;and changes out the classic earth-tones color palette for a more modern white
But it seems to me this new design is really about Wawa catching up to today&rsquo;s customer shopping patterns
where a larger percentage of Wawa revenue is coming from the prepared food area&hellip; and the redesign puts a big focus on improving that experience
Then also factor in that many customers today prefer the self-checkout kiosks
you start wondering &ldquo;why do they need to allocate so much space in the store for cash registers that never get used
&nbsp;Can&rsquo;t that space be used in better ways?&rdquo;
On your next visit to the Bellmawr Wawa you&rsquo;ll be surprised by how much more open space there is
particularly in front of the prepared-food order pickup area and the upgraded cashier area
Like most Wawas this Bellmawr store had multiple checkout areas.&nbsp; There is always the one in the far corner that needs to be operated by employees as it&rsquo;s the cigarette area.&nbsp;But then the Bellmawr store had a second island of cash registers that honestly I can&rsquo;t remember the last time we&rsquo;re ever used&hellip; other than a hastily done retrofit to support self checkout
but consider the other Wawa stores that have those very large round island of cash register stations such as Sicklerville Road store or the Doo-Wop store in Wildwood.&nbsp; When was the last time you&rsquo;ve ever seen more than 2 (of the four) registers in use
first they removed that separate unused &ldquo;island&rdquo; section of cash registers
and expanded the far corner cash register area (where the cigarettes are located)&hellip; which is now a crescent-shape cash register counter which is much longer and provides multiple checkout registers
They&rsquo;ve also consolidated all of the refrigerated &ldquo;to-go&rdquo; items in a large unit directly next to this register
This immediately opens the store up to give a better flow for customers
Wawa then also increased the number of self-checkout kiosks to four
by placing them along the front glass wall of the store
Which then leads to the third change in this &ldquo;checkout&rdquo; area
 While the store still has the same exterior entrance as before
there were two interior doorways for the foyer area
 The original thought being that one door would be allocated for customers coming in and the other would be for customers leaving the store.&nbsp; I never thought that flowed regardless because the foyer area would get jammed up at the exterior doors
So today in the new Bellmawr remodel they have removed the interior set of &ldquo;exit&rdquo; doors&hellip; freeing up space in that front corner for the self checkout area
So an interesting thing about the new food preparation area is it feels smaller
but then at the same time it is absolutely better designed for customers and the staff
For decades Wawa seemed to believe that everything needed to be an open kitchen design protruding into the store so customers could see everything going on.&nbsp; Well when hoagies were your only food item that worked
but today with the expanded menu and additional equipment (such as pizza ovens) the whole food preparation area needed a revamp
Which means the segment of the kitchen space doesn&rsquo;t all need to be out front inside the store.&nbsp; If anything it was frustrating to customers also as you&rsquo;d have to walk around the big curved kitchen space looking for a kiosk or trying to find out where your order is
So it appears that the food prep area is now divided in two sections with the front open area focused on hoagies and shakes/smoothies
with an allocated section behind that for other food prep needs
Simply it removes the large food prep area which in other stores protruded far into the main store space and frees up a lot of space
And today for customer interactions the front of the Bellmawr Wawa food prep area is divided into two very logical sections; Order and Pickup
The right half of the food preparation area is for the kiosk ordering terminals
 You no longer have to walk 25-feet around the curved protruding kitchen area looking for an available ordering screen
The likely bigger change is the pick-up area
 How about a 12-foot wide dedicated pickup area that is clearly marked with signage
 I remember one of the first times I ordered a Wawa milkshake
as I stood at the small center pickup area I had no idea that for several minutes my milkshake was waiting (melting) at the far end of the counter in its own makeshift pick up location
Well the Bellmawr Wawa makes it very clear to everyone where orders are picked up
not only does it offer the large 12 foot wide and clearly marked order pickup area
it&rsquo;s segregated into 3 sections; delivery
The delivery and mobile sections have shelves above the counter space which would seem to be so that employees can just place your order there
and when you (or your deliver service) show up for your order
It&rsquo;s like we are living in the future
Compare that to the new Wawa in Washington Township (5-points) that opened just a year ago and it has that little center window where all of the orders have to go through and you have to bug an employee &ldquo;I am 522
and it seems this Bellmawr prototype remodel found a solution to the problem
And the third area of this food prep remodel is the ever important self-serve drink space featuring coffee and fountain drinks&hellip; which is located to the right of the order kiosk
The coffee urns are an all new digital design which worked very easily for me when I grab my free coffee this morning
These digital coffee urns appear to support the same number of coffee options but in a smaller space with each screen offering three different choices such as Colombian
For the coffee &ldquo;creamer&rdquo; preparation area the model is mostly unchanged with the separate small island that offers half and half
Overall I think it&rsquo;s a really attractive redesign and also very smartly done to improve the customer and staff experience
Likely I&rsquo;m the only one to analyze it to this level
But if I could put an idea out there for the Wawa team
while we&rsquo;re in the cold winter months how about heading down to that famous Wildwood Doo-Wop Wawa location when it&rsquo;s basically empty of customers in the winter
and this new design would likely be a huge help
Wawa Bellmawr112 Edgewood Ave (At Creek Rd)Bellmawr NJ
<a href="https://www.wawa.com/locations/396">Location Webpage</a>
Categories <a href="https://42freeway.com/news/" rel="category tag">News</a>
Blue Kujira Restaurant Mullica Hill Coming Soon;  Sushi
Bellmawr Browning Road Bridge Construction Timeline Updates
which is the I-295 mainline direct connection over I-76/Route 42
as well as improve several ramps and reconstruct number of bridges over I-295 and Route 42
The major benefit of the project is to allow I-295 traffic to flow continuously without the need for using the current ramps with 35 mph speed limit
This will reduce congestion and improve safety by eliminating several weaving motions
Because of the size and complexity of the project
the project was divided into four construction contracts
Work is complete to install Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
This system includes Dynamic Message Signs to alert motorists of roadway incidents or congestion
travel-time readers and adaptive traffic signal control systems along portions of Routes 168 and 130
these technology-based systems will give NJDOT a wider range of capabilities to manage traffic in Camden and Gloucester counties during project construction and beyond
began in March 2013 was completed in November 2016
Work was carried out along I-295 south of Essex Avenue
along I-76 in the Market Street area and along two Route 42 ramps
The Bell Road Bridge over I-295 and the Creek Road Bridge over Route 42 were replaced and four retaining walls were started that would be completed in subsequent contracts
several stretches of roadways were temporarily widened to accommodate work under future contracts and a temporary ramp was constructed to eliminate the weave between Route 42 north and I-295 north traffic for the duration of construction
A new ramp from I-295 north over Route 42 also was built
These ramps have improved safety and allow for an easier flow of traffic
which has helped minimize congestion during the construction
began in June 2014 and was completed in July 2019
The most notable piece of this contract was building a new ramp from I-76 eastbound to I-295 northbound and the construction of a five-lane covered roadway where the two lanes of traffic coming from new I-76 eastbound ramp merge with three lanes of traffic from I-295 northbound
The covered roadway opened in February of 2019 and the existing traffic pattern will stay in this configuration until the project is completed
A portion of the new I-295 bridge that will go over the ramp from I-76 east to I-295 north was completed as part of this contract in July of 2019
The rest of the bridge will be built as part of Contract 3
The main focus of this contract is completing the new bridge
When work under this contract is completed
I-295 southbound traffic will start using the new bridge
but I-295 northbound traffic will not be using the new bridge until new ramps are built under the fourth and final contract
The Browning Road Bridge over Route 42 also will be reconstructed as part of Contract 3
complex configuration of the interchange and weaving movements
a high incidence of motor vehicle accidents often occur
Subsequent to the completion of the EIS a Record of Decision was issued
The world&apos;s most popular pizza reviewer
reviewing a pizza from&#xA0;Topo Gigio Pizza in Bellmawr
in which he stops in local pizza shops around the county
He has been to numerous South Jersey places including Tony&apos;s Baltimore Grill
Prep&apos;s Pizzeria and Manco &amp; Manco&apos;s in Ocean City
Mack&apos;s Pizza and&#xA0;Sorrento II Pizzeria and Restaurant in Wildwood
Carluccio&apos;s in Northfield,&#xA0;Berandi Brothers Pizza,&#xA0;Uncle Oogie&apos;s and&#xA0;Phil&apos;s Famous Pizzeria in Sea Isle,&#xA0;Steak &apos;Em Up and Sam&apos;s Pizza in North Wildwood to name a few
This time he was reviewing a spot in&#xA0;Camden County during a recent visit to Philadelphia
where he reviewed plenty of pizzas in the City of Brotherly Love
located at 984 Creek&#xA0;Road Bellmawr has been in business for 42 years according to owner John
So I hand him a 100 and he goes Hoo-ah!&#x201D;
Portnoy laughed.&#xA0; &quot;I liked that reaction in there.&quot;
(The Hoo-ah reference is from Al Pacino in&#xA0;the movie Scent of a Woman)
He described the pizza as a &quot;football pizza&quot;
&quot;You order this on a Sunday at two o&apos;clock
you don&apos;t even think twice,&quot; Portnoy added
which is a solid score on the Potrnoy scale
so it looks like I will be taking a ride to Bellmawr soon
Gallery Credit: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joevotruba" target="_blank">Joe Votruba</a>
Discover why Dave Portnoy's visit to Bellmawr is causing a stir among pizza lovers in South Jersey!\n<a href=\"//973espn.com/barstool-sports-critic-dave-portnoy-rates-topo-gigio-pizza-in-bellmawr/\" title=\"Barstool Sports Critic Dave Portnoy Rates Topo Gigio Pizza In Bellmawr\">Read More</a>
Barstool Pizza Review - Topo Gigio Pizza (Bellmawr, NJ) <a href=\"https://t.co/5TNxwItp4C\">pic.twitter.com/5TNxwItp4C</a>
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Join Camden County in August for National Night Out
an annual community-building campaign promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie
National Night Out aims to enhance relationships between neighbors and law enforcement to help make our neighborhoods safer and bring back a stronger sense of community
<a href="https://www.audubonfamilyvets.com/event-details-registration/audubons-national-night-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event details</a>
Audubon Park &amp; Haddon Township &#8211; CANCELLED
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<a href="https://barringtonboro.com/tues-aug-6-national-night-out-with-police-dept-at-star-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event details</a>
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Onsite Community Parking Lot at Ablett Community Room
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Haddon Heights &#8211; POSTPONED AUGUST 27th
<a href="https://haddonhts.com/community/page/national-night-out-tuesday-86" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event Details</a>
Somerdale &amp; Magnolia &#8211; POSTPONED SEPTEMBER 7th
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Mount Ephraim &#8211; POSTPONED AUGUST 13th
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Hershey&rsquo;s Shake Shop Creamery has opened in Bellmawr NJ on Creek Road
Now open 7 days a week (1pm-9pm) this all new treats shop is owned by a local Gloucester County family!&nbsp;
Shake Shop Creamery servers delicious Hershey&rsquo;s Ice Cream products including Hand-dipped Ice Cream
Incredible Ice and Sorbet&hellip; how about a classic cone
 This family-owned ice cream shop is building out their full menu which will quickly grow to include more special treats such as in-store-baked brownies
cookies and more&hellip;.&nbsp; Can you say &ldquo;Hot Brownie Sundaes?!&rdquo;
Plus with Hershey Ice Cream you&rsquo;re getting REAL DAIRY ice cream&hellip; which means they use ingredients that give it an extra rich and creamy texture.&nbsp; Cream is the number one ingredient in Hershey&rsquo;s ice cream&hellip; and you&rsquo;d be surprised that with many of their competitors
During my visit they even had a Dairy-Free option which is made from oats
Hershey&rsquo;s has an awesome business model for their Ice Cream
 Of course we know the name as a high quality food company based in the Philadelphia area&hellip; and for their ice cream they have chosen to fully support &ldquo;the small guy&rdquo; Ice Cream shops by not selling their high quality frozen treats in supermarkets
I stopped in this week at Hershey&rsquo;s Shake Shop Creamery and caught up with part-owner Michael
who along with his father (also Michael) and step-mom (Stacy) have opened up the ice cream shop in a small strip of stores in Bellmawr
which recently has been fully remodeled and also includes several other new businesses including a pizza shop and a convenience store
Michael gave me the details on the new ice cream shop
where the ice cream freezer is filled with a full variety of delicious Hershey frozen products
As mentioned the new ice cream shop is located across from Bellmawr Lake on Creek Road.&nbsp; The shop is positioned in the middle of the shopping center
and I think positions it directly across from the driveway entrance of the popular recreation lake.&nbsp;
the Shake Shop Creamery has been beautifully remodeled with attractive graphics that blend custom design elements
The right wall features fun black and white graphics that tell a story of delicious and fun frozen treats
The counter area to the left is a fully open space
and the front of the counter features colorful brand graphics for Shake Shop Creamery
Hershey&rsquo;s Ice Cream and beautiful photos of the delicious frozen treats
there&rsquo;s a lot of customization options
 Displayed on the counter are the five different types of sugar cones including pretzel
Another really cool feature is the self-serve toppings wall!&nbsp;&nbsp; Featuring 30 different dispensers
when fully filled it will have a full variety of fresh topping treats for your ice cream sundae cone or more.&nbsp;
Michael described the core plan for the treat wall is that people could buy a few ice cream treats to go and then separately by a container of the toppings which are paid for by weight&hellip;&nbsp; like one of those bulk candy stores that used to be in the mall
Another unique and flavorful thing I&rsquo;ve never seen before is they are carrying a line of honey based sodas! &nbsp;Flavors include Cream, Ginger and Root Beer!&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a small batch craft soda made made in a North Carolina farm (<a href="https://www.wehrloom.com/product-page/honey-root-beer">Wehrloom</a>) using only real ingredients and their farm made honey
There&rsquo;s already plenty of reasons to stop in at the Shake Shop Creamery in Bellmawr, and I&rsquo;m excited to see what the have planned for the new menu items over the next few months.&nbsp;&nbsp; To keep up with the latest, be sure to follow them at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565441706619">Facebook </a>and other social media platforms
Hershey&rsquo;s Shake Shop Creamery &ndash; Bellmawr809 Creek RoadBellmawr NJ
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565441706619">Facebook</a>
Pennsauken’s New Municipal and Library Building Rises Ahead of Summer 2025 Opening
Four Seasons Fitness Glassboro Opens 25,000sf Addition; Indoor Pickleball
This week the massive Direct Connection Road project centered in Bellmawr NJ appears to have entered two major phases
with indications that the core wall rebuild (concrete pour) has started AND large steel beams and cranes have arrived at the site of the Browning Road bridge rebuild
I&rsquo;ve stopped by a few times at the Direct Connection project over the last week or so and captured drone images of the progress
Things are moving fast right now as each time I stopped and took photos
a day later something else started to take place at the site before I could get an article online&hellip; and I had to stop back again for updated photos
And even yesterday when I thought I was ready to put the article online
I heard that the large steel beams arrived at the Browning Road Bridge build site&hellip; I unfortunately did not have my drone with me at that time but I was able to grab an image or two of the beams
So this is a quick look at the progress taking place at the two current core focus areas of the $900+ Million Dollar Roadway project.&nbsp; I have not spoken to the NDOT media team about these two phases of the development just yet but will be reaching out after the publication of this article
the quick project summary is that the key goal of Direct Connection is to streamline (and straighten) movements of Route 295 in this area by raising it up over the other roadways
During the construction phases, in March of 2021 the large raised ramp of the upcoming Route 295 roadway experienced a significant collapse which pushed out the tall retaining wall.  For more details see my <a href="https://42freeway.com/south-jersey-transportation-projects-primer/#Direct_Connection">42Freeway Transportation Primer page.</a>
Additionally my <a href="https://42freeway.com/roads/direct-connection-bellmawr-video-update-july-2024-plus-update-on-when/">July article update</a> includes a video which shows construction progress that took place for the first six months of the year
I had visited the site multiple times over 2024 and was able to piece together the footage to show the progress
 The latest project completion date I&rsquo;ve seen is 2032
Back in May of 2023 crews started the effort to demolish the damaged portion of the raised roadway which will eventually become the new Route 295 through Bellmawr
Later that same summer they started the effort to build up the lower foundation for what will become a new solid concrete front retaining wall.&nbsp;
The new foundation that was developed below the wall area included hundreds of steel pilings driven deep into the ground
which will support the weight of the concrete retaining wall as well as hold back pressure from the raised earth and roadway
just a few weeks ago large sections of steel rebar where installed at the project site running along the entire base area of where the front concrete wall will be constructed
And then just a week ago the first segment of a massive approximately 70-foot tall steel form was erected at the wall rebuild site
The placement of this steel form is situated so that the angled steel rebar coming out of the lower foundation&hellip; will end up being encased within the newly concrete wall
While I&rsquo;m not a concrete professional
that steel rebar offers additional structural integrity to the concrete pour as well as will help tie the raised wall to the lower foundation elements
The general concept here is that while the visibly exposed portion of the wall above ground is very significant in its own right
the connected foundation below the wall extends deep into the underground&hellip; making it one massive connected support structure that will both hold up the raised roadway and earth
During my visit last week construction crews were working on the steel form (for the wall&rsquo;s poured concrete)
and it appeared at the time they were finalizing it&rsquo;s construction ahead of the concrete pour
Driving by yesterday I did notice a large concrete pump truck was on site
As part of the Direct Connection project the Bellmawr Browning Road bridge (which supports local traffic in town) is being rebuilt both longer and slightly taller
to support upgrades that will take place on the Rt 42/76 highway which travels underneath it
During the new Browning Road Bridge build process (at the same location)
local traffic has been supported by the installation of a significant temporary bridge that is positioned off to the side
This has been a long running facet of the project
with crews most recently working on rebuilding the second (and final) center concrete support pier which will hold the new bridge
It was expected that once the two lower-level concrete support structures were developed
that crews would move quickly into the core development of the bridge span and roadway surface
In my visit yesterday I could see that the second set of lower support columns have been developed including the top concrete &ldquo;header&rdquo;
And it seems the construction crews are fully diving into the next aspects
last week two cranes arrived on site&hellip; which was a safe assumption that they were there to lift the bridge span construction components into place
&nbsp;At that time though there was no bridge span materials on site
But then just within the last two days large steel beams arrived
 It appears those beams are the core support steel beams which will be positioned across the columns (likely in three sections)
Additionally a temporary steel support structure is on site
likely to assist when installing the large steel bridge span beams
the construction team can start the effort to develop the roadway decking
When it comes time for the cranes to start placing those beams in place
I would imagine there would be some overnight traffic impacts&hellip; but at this time I have not asked NJDOT for any timelines
but I will be following up with them after this article is published
Categories <a href="https://42freeway.com/roads/" rel="category tag">Roads</a>
Kingda Ka Coaster Great Adventure To Be Removed for All-New Record Breaking Launch Coaster in 2026
Bank Bar Gloucester City Adding All-Season Outdoor Space
Celebrity pizza reviewer Dave Portnoy just published a surprise review of Topo Gigio Pizza located on Creek Road in Bellmawr NJ
Dave absolutely became a quick fan of Topo Gigio Pizza owner John
and his quality &ldquo;football pizza&rdquo;
&ldquo;I like this guy in there&hellip; this place is old-school.&nbsp; So I hand him a 100 and he goes Ho-Aah!&rdquo;
And Dave seemed to really get a kick out of the locally beloved pizza shop owner
Topo Gigio&rsquo;s is located on Creek Road Bellmawr NJ not too far from Bellmawr Lake
and south of the Brooklawn Circles and Westbrook Bowling Alley
&ldquo;I like that reaction from that guy!&rdquo;
Topo Gigio owner John is a beloved legend in Bellmawr&hellip; I know this for a fact because not only did I grow up blocks away from this pizza shop in the Crescent Park section of town
my wife and I owned our own home just three blocks from Topo Gigio&hellip; and &ldquo;Tope&rsquo;s Pizza&rdquo; and John became our go to place for MANY years
Ever since the first day John took over the shop 42 years ago
Conversations with John are as big a reason to stop in
Even when I stop back now many years later after moving to Deptford &ldquo;Hey
 How you doing&rdquo;&hellip; and then John takes the time to chat with me about what&rsquo;s going on in my life
Even when my father was a mailman in Bellmawr Park 35 years ago
Topos was a very regular lunch stop for dad
Over the years I&rsquo;ve gotten to meet and know his family also&hellip; Amazing people
 For MANY years his daughter and son have been in the shop helping out on weekends
If you&rsquo;re not familiar with Dave Portnoy he is the founder of <a href="https://www.barstoolsports.com/">Barstool Sports website</a> which he turned into a multi-million dollar business
He then found celebrity and fame by doing his One Bite Pizza reviews
where he surprises shop owners with a visit
buys a pizza and stands in front of the shop and films his review
Just having Dave show up at your shop likely changes the fortunes of the owners and the higher the scores go
Based out of Boston area, Dave covers pizza shops throughout the United States and beyond, but he absolutely has a focus on the Northeast typically hitting the big city shops&hellip; but he&rsquo;s been branching out more into suburban locations such as when I <a href="https://42freeway.com/news/celebrity-pizza-reviewer-dave-portnoy-visits-slice-in-washington-twp-gloucester-county/">wrote last week</a> about his visit to Slice Pizza in Washington Township
The Topo Gigio review is one of the shorter reviews at just over 2 minutes
particularly if Dave is standing on a busy street and random locals jump into the video
For the Topos review it was just Dave standing in front of the shop on a quiet
with John listening in the background by the counter
Dave uses a scale of one to 10 for his reviews but really tries to uphold the purity of the scale system.&nbsp; A score in the mid-7s is a very good score from Dave Portnoy
and if you got into the eights you reaching upper echelon
While he calls his reviews &ldquo;One Bite Reviews
Dave absolutely takes multiple bites of the slice putting as much focus on the crust and the &ldquo;undercarriage&rdquo; as he does the cheese and sauce
I have personally eaten hundreds of Topo Gigio pies over the years and it is a delicious classic South Jersey pie&hellip; that being the Dave Portnoy wheelhouse pie that he admits to liking is a very crispy and thin crust&hellip; slightly overcooked crust
That being said Dave seemed to enjoy the Bellmawr Topo Gigio Pizza calling it a &ldquo;football pizza
eat it on Sunday in the rain in Jersey.&rdquo;
the 42 year history of the restaurant and the owner
the old school&rdquo; no credit card style&rdquo;
and the enthusiastic &ldquo;Hoo-Ah&rdquo; from the owner&hellip;
Dave gave Topo Gigio&rsquo;s Pizza a 7.5&hellip; &nbsp;Which again is a very good score
So one thing that Dave said when he walked into Topos is John did not know who he is
Now at times such as the weekends John will have his kids help him at the shop
but for the most part he is there alone making pizzas
cheesesteaks and hoagies&hellip; and I wonder if he has any idea what&rsquo;s about to happen to him come Thursday morning
when dozens to likely hundreds of people swarm to the little pizza shop in Bellmawr NJ to taste his pizza
Camden County Skatepark at Cooper River is Open
This week crews started installing the horizontal steel support beams for the Bellmawr Browning Road Bridge rebuild project
and I reached out to NJDOT for a timeline update on the full bridge replacement project
<a href="https://42freeway.com/roads/direct-connection-bellmawr-november-2024-wall-and-browning-bridge-going-up/">Last week I reported</a> on the arrival of the steel for the Browning Road bridge effort
and I also provided a photo update on the Direct Connection wall rebuild (which I refresh today)
This new local bridge replacement project is part of the $900+ million Direct Connection effort taking place in Bellmawr.&nbsp; This new ground level span when completed will be approximately 400 feet long
traveling over top of Routes 295/42/76 which pass underneath in a recessed space supporting over a dozen lanes
To keep traffic flowing on the important local Browning Road (which connects the east and west halves of Bellmawr)
a temporary bridge was installed just north of this rebuild site
last year workers had created the west side abutment for the new bridge
as well as the adjacent grouping of bridge pier supports
This year the construction project moved over to the east side of the future bridge span
creating the concrete abutment there as well as a second set of support piers
It was literally just two weeks ago or so when that final set of support piers were completed
and as I reported in my November 15th the construction team moved right in to and installing the horizontal steel beam supports which will span the 400-foot distance
The full effort to install these main horizontal beams is a two week effort in total
This week beams are being installed between the two piers
effectively building out the bridge&rsquo;s center span
For next week with the Thanksgiving Holiday and likely higher traffic volumes
there will be no effort taking place on these steel beams
After the holiday the crews will pick up again with the installation project
working on the steel beam spans for the outer sections to the two East/West abutments
the work will be done overnight and it&rsquo;s expected to be completed that week after Thanksgiving
work will begin to install the deck pans (for the roadway)
the parapets (upper support structures and railings)
The effort to reinstall all of the utilities back onto the main bridge will take considerable coordination and time as each of those listed aspects are completely different utility organizations
I&rsquo;m not sure people realize this but the actual piping for handling the town sewage in this area had to be redirected and shifted over 60 feet or more to the temporary bridge&hellip; and then it all has to be brought back again
Many people tell me &ldquo;you don&rsquo;t know sh*t&rdquo;
and in this case I have to say this really isn&rsquo;t my expertise&hellip; &nbsp;but that effort alone just feels like a big challenge as you have  to be able to do that relocation while still keeping the sewage flowing
Which brings the timeline out to the summer before the final road surface will be poured
and then electrical and finish work would take place after that
traffic is expected to utilize the new bridge in the Fall of 2025&hellip; Effectively one year from now
crews will shift over to dismantle and remove the temporary bridge
A quick update on the rebuild of the Direct Connection Wall 22
which in last week&rsquo;s article update I stated they had begun the process to build the vertical wall
It appears that they have already poured concrete for that first large wall segment
 A large approximately 60-foot wide steel form was put in place ahead of pouring concrete for that section
It does appear that they completed the concrete pour for that first section
and they are dismantling the steel frame (to be relocated over to the next spot)
From the angle on my photos you could see what looks like the poured and now solid concrete
I don&rsquo;t have a better vantage point of this section today because I was at the site this morning around 7:30 AM on the West side
and just as I was finishing the images in that area (and planning on moving over to the east cemetery side) to get a better angle&hellip; the light rain and snow started
Any amount of rain or snow is not a good environment for my level of drone
about a week ago my drone broke when I slipped out of my hands and fell about a foot
and it messed up the internal GPS module and I could not fly.&nbsp; Thankfully that damage was covered under warranty
and they shipped me a brand new drone which I received last night at 6:00 PM
So this morning was my very first flight with the brand new drone
Well it just gives me an excuse to stop back next weel when they&rsquo;ve moved the steel form over to the next segment.&nbsp; I absolutely will not be doing an article for each segment
but I think people will want to see and understand what this tall concrete wall&rsquo;s construction is all about
Bellmawr Wawa One-Of-A-Kind Prototype Remodel Focused on Today&#8217;s Customer
Dick’s House Of Sport Planned For Cherry Hill Mall
A Bellmawr man is facing charges following a suspicious fire at a multi-unit home in Williamstown early Thursday morning
The Monroe Township Police Department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonroeTownshipPolice" target="_blank">says</a> their officers were called to 425 S
Fire personnel responded quickly and were able to contain the fire
That blaze was deemed suspicious by the fire marshal and an investigation identified 32-year-old Tobin N
who was arrested a few hours later and charged with one count of arson
Further police work &quot;revealed that Mr
Watson committed theft from a nearby business,&quot; and he was also charged with one count of theft
Watson was remanded to the Salem County Jail
The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
A Bellmawr man is facing charges following a suspicious fire at a multi-unit home in Williamstown early Thursday morning.\n<a href=\"//catcountry1073.com/bellmawr-nj-man-charged-with-arson-theft-in-monroe-township/\" title=\"Bellmawr, NJ, man charged with arson, theft in Monroe Township\">Read More</a>
The Monroe Township Police Department <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/MonroeTownshipPolice\" target=\"_blank\">says</a> their officers were called to 425 S
2025 at 10:01 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A truck carrying fuel overturned Saturday off the highway in Bellmawr
causing major traffic jams as crews responded to the busy area
NJ — A truck carrying fuel overturned Saturday off the highway in Bellmawr
The tanker truck veered off Interstate 295 North and overturned at 12:42 p.m
Hazmat crews and emergency personnel worked for several hours to clean the area and remove the tanker
The driver was brought to the hospital for minor injuries
It happened near the I-295 interchange with Route 42 and Interstate 76
There were closures on all three roadways until 9:45 p.m
Cleanup efforts included controlled burns of the natural gas that had spilled
the driver lost directional control while negotiating a curve
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The billion dollar Direct Connection project in Bellmawr NJ is in its 11th year of construction
and I am presenting here a July 2024 update on the project&rsquo;s recent construction progress (mostly for this year)
This web article shares recent images of the core construction segments, but to really get an understanding of how well the construction progress has been moving forward lately, the <a href="https://youtu.be/h8pkphzFYp0?si=uCBkaHcXOgepPGeP">provided video</a> offers clips for each segment going back in time&hellip; even to last year when they removed the collapsed wall segment
earlier this year the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission needed to approve changes to the last phase contract for the project (Contract 4)
and as part of those updates they were provided an update on the anticipated full project completion date
If you&rsquo;re unaware of the Direct Connection project
the likely billion dollar construction effort started in 2013 in an area centered in Bellmawr NJ
with a goal to provide more direct roadway passages for commuter through the complex interchange
A key goal is to improve traffic flow on Route 295 by raising it up over top of the connected roadways
While many aspects of the large project have been completed successfully years ago (such as the rebuild of the Creek Road and Bell Road overpasses)
there have been some unanticipated delays in the core center of the project
The largest and most notable delay was the collapse of &ldquo;Wall 22&rdquo;
where the foundation of the unopened roadway segment slid out from underneath causing the road and supporting wall to collapse down
A new design was approved which accounts for the challenges of the location
and last year the effort to rebuild the roadway (as well as remove the damaged prior effort) were started
For more understanding check out my September 2022 article &ldquo;<a href="https://42freeway.com/roads/direct-connection-explainer-video-and-top-3-reasons/">Direct Connection Explainer Video and Top 3 Reasons</a>&ldquo;
Browning Road is a well traveled local road in Bellmawr which traverses over top of the widest section of the recessed Routes 42/76.&nbsp;&nbsp; To accommodate additional efforts with this project
the Browning Road bridge is being rebuilt in place
with a temporary bridge already in place off to the side
Current efforts have been focused on the eastern bridge abutment
In images taken last week this project segment now appears to be mostly completed
with the new interior support columns poured
and of course the front concrete barrier wall in place
Just a few months ago in February this was an empty whole in the sidewall of the recessed roadway
Likely after this abutment is fully completed the lower road surface shoulder will be rebuilt
and we will see lane shifts over (temporarily) so that the center column supports for the upcoming new bridge can be completed
Tall columns to support the Route 295 overpass have been in place just north of the Browning Road bridge for several years now.&nbsp; Recently
workers moved on to building out the top header portion
which is where the overhead roadway decking will be attached to
In a matter of a few short months this year
construction crews were able to build out the large concrete top headers
but most of the elevated roadway actually will be on the other/South side of the Browning Road bridge and will also require tall supports to support the roadway
 Two ramps have been constructed but the core columns in this section have not been developed
A primary focus for construction efforts right now is the rebuilding of the Wall 22 segment
which had previously collapsed for several reasons&hellip; encapsulated in insufficient foundation design for the area
last year construction crews completed the effort to tear down the damaged section of Wall 22
and then immediately moved into the build of the newly engineered replacement roadway
NJDOT released several bullets highlighting key new engineering aspects of the new design
but a full overview has not been offered yet (I&rsquo;ve reached out for more details)
Currently the wall and roadway rebuild is fully underway
Key aspects are a reduced slope in front of the raised roadway
as well as hundreds of steel pilings driven deep into the ground to create a solid base for the wall foundation to rest on
several interior concrete columns look ready to be poured
Another notable aspect is an interior concrete &rdquo;shelf&rdquo; which appears to be intended to hold back some of the stress of the raise roadway
but its full purpose has not yet been fully explained
The project also includes a tunnel for traffic to move underneath a segment of the raised 295 roadway
The northern exterior aspect of this tunnel is an earthen slope
and in the last year work has been done to improve it&rsquo;s implementation by reducing the slope angle via the development of a short retaining wall
It appears that previously the slope was a much steeper grade going directly to the ground
which caused noticeable soil slippage/erosion in the area of the slope
the angle of the slope is reduced which should remove erosion/slippage of the soil.&nbsp; In recent photos this aspect of the project appears to be mostly complete
The video also highlights an explanation of what some have called the &ldquo;Dukes of Hazzard&rdquo; ramp
which is a currently unused ramp developed adjacent to Northbound Route 42
This ramp will eventually become the roadway for travelers from Route 42 North heading to Route 295 North
this segment of roadway will also be significantly in the air
travel over top of the Browning Road bridge and finally connect to the area where Wall 22 is being rebuilt
The video does a better job of explaining this &ldquo;ramp&rdquo; aspect
you understand the core purpose of this road project
I have an update on the completion date for the Direct Connection project
This information comes from a recent Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission meeting where in their role as representing Federal Highway projects in the area
they were asked to approve changes in the final contract (number 4) which also included a change in the completion date&hellip; to 2032
Construction on the Direct Connection effort formally started in Spring of 2013
so this puts the current project length at 19 years
With the start in 2013 the project was estimated to take 8 years with a completion year of 2021
Malaga Diner To Reopen With New Owners and New Name
ModWash Car Wash Proposed For Delsea Drive Deptford
2024 at 2:59 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A student was charged Wednesday after police investigated a potential threat against a Camden County middle school
NJ — A student was charged Wednesday after police investigated a potential threat against a Camden County middle school
Staff at Bell Oaks Middle School in Bellmawr were notified Wednesday morning of a "possible threat with a gun," police said
which resulted in undisclosed charges against a student
Police found no weapons on the student — a juvenile — or anywhere at the school
The student was released after police consulted with the Camden County Prosecutor's Office
"There is no concern for the safety of the students," said the Bellmawr Police Department
It wasn't immediately clear whether the threat came before or during school
Patch contacted Bellmawr police and the superintendent of Bellmawr Public Schools but didn't immediately receive answers
The incident happened days after several South Jersey schools <a href="https://patch.com/new-jersey/gloucestertownship/students-charged-2-south-jersey-districts-close-after-threats-police" target="_blank">received threats</a> of shootings
Deptford Township and Woodbury City schools were closed Monday as a result
Three minors suspected of making the online threats were arrested
a student opened fire at a Georgia high school
killing two students and two teachers and injuring several others
The incident has amplified national conversations around school shootings and gun laws
Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardAfter an I-295 wall collapse in Camden County
a new law requires stronger testing for road constructionThe collapsed wall set back the project
and is expected to be fully repaired this summer
An I-295 retaining <a class="relative z-1 text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" data-link-type="article-body" class="text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" href="https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/interstates-295-76-route-42-interchange-south-jersey-retaining-wall-collapse-20210412.html" target="_blank">wall that collapsed four years ago</a> is 85% rebuilt as work continues on the massive $1 billion project to untangle a South Jersey interchange where three expressways meet
a new state law inspired by the mishap is aimed at preventing a repeat of the errors found to have contributed to it
including the use of outdated geological data and a wall design ill-suited to sandy soil in an area with high groundwater levels
“We had the opportunity to make sure this doesn’t happen again anywhere else in the state,” said Assemblyman Bill Moen (D., Camden), who represents Bellmawr and cosponsored <a class="relative z-1 text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" data-link-type="article-body" class="text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" href="https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A3904/bill-text?f=A4000&n=3904_R1" target="_blank">the legislation Gov. Phil Murphy signed</a> last week
the New Jersey Department of Transportation estimated that the wall reconstruction would add $92 million to the overall cost of “Direct Connect,” an intended fix for the regional traffic choke point in Bellmawr where Interstates 295 and 76 and Route 42 join
groundwater monitoring must be conducted before work can start on New Jersey transportation projects
Results from past monitoring can be used only if they are less than five years old
Early on a late March morning in 2021 after a heavy rain, <a class="relative z-1 text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" data-link-type="article-body" class="text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" href="https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/interstates-295-76-route-42-interchange-south-jersey-retaining-wall-collapse-20211019.html" target="_blank">workers discovered the wall sagging</a>
a fissure at the top and standing water at the bottom
The soil anchoring the structure was disturbed
The elevated roadway supported by the wall was not open to traffic
Signs of instability were reported by contractors as early as 2016
and groundwater levels are only going to increase — look at the [frequent] flooding in South Jersey and Philadelphia — so it’s important to have accurate geological data,” Moen said
The state transportation department has expressed support for the new law
and legislators consulted with NJDOT as they drafted it
it will directly connect the northbound and southbound lanes of I-295
ending the hair-raising merges motorists must perform to negotiate the interchange — a main artery between Philadelphia and the Shore
“In a few weeks, we are scheduled to shift traffic coming off Al-Jo’s curve heading to I-295 southbound slightly to the right onto a new ramp,” a spokesperson for NJDOT said. A single lane on the left will carry traffic heading for Route 42 southbound toward <a class="relative z-1 text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" data-link-type="article-body" class="text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" href=https://www.inquirer.com/topic/atlantic-city>Atlantic City</a>
crews will begin building piers for a new bridge that will carry I-295 over I-76/Route 42 and the Browning Road Bridge in Bellmawr
The Browning Road Bridge is expected to open this fall
with all the work for both structures done in 2028
A final portion of the connection is being designed
That means the entire project may not be done until the early 2030s
Meanwhile, a companion construction project <a class="relative z-1 text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" data-link-type="article-body" class="text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode" href="https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/interstate-295-route-42-ramps-open-20231128.html" target="_blank">connecting the Route 42 freeway and I-295 with new ramps opened in November 2023</a>
enabling motorists to move between the two major roadways without crowding local streets
is a “bright spot in a big headache,” Moen said
NJ — A serious crash has closed all lanes of I-295 northbound in Camden County
Drivers are asked to avoid the area and seek alternate ways to get to their destination
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, I-295 northbound is closed and detoured at I-76 westbound. A crash involving a tractor-trailer was reported in the area shortly before 1 p.m., per <a href="http://511nj.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">511nj.org</a>
both the eastbound and westbound ramps from I-76 onto I-295 north are closed
and so is the ramp from Route 42 north to I-295 north
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A series of lane shifts on Route 42 North in the Bellmawr area have been taking place over the last few weeks
with the goal being to create a large center work area for construction crews working on the Browning Road bridge replacement project
The replacement Browning Road Bridge rebuild is part of the almost One Billion Dollar project in Camden County NJ called Direct Connect
Recently the core Route 42 North roadway had been split into two left/right segments (of two lanes each) which provided a very temporary middle work area for crews to asphalt those lanes ahead of additional lane shifting
It is expected that come Wednesday morning
all four lanes of the core Route 42 Northbound roadway will be rejoined together again
With Route 42 Northbound lanes shifted far right this will leave a wide work construction area in the center of Route 42
This center work area is needed for the Browning Road Bridge replacement project so that heavy equipment and crews can be safely brought in to demolish the old bridge support piers
and then rebuild the new piers which will support the still-to-be-constructed new bridge
This phase of the Browning Road Bridge rebuild comes after workers recently completed the Eastern abutment for the bridge&hellip;  which has made the efforts to create dedicated and safe work areas for crews in multiple facets of the bridge project
That abutment project (far right side of 42 North) had its own requirements for dedicated work area lanes on that far right side
 This caused Route 42 North to be shifted to the left
the next phase is that center pier&hellip; and that then required a work area in the middle&hellip; and all the lanes then needed to be shifted right
To ensure that traffic continued flowing at all times on Route 42 North
the effort to shift those lanes over was spread out over many days
Good news is it appears that once this new support pier is completed they should be able to move into the construction of the permanent Browning Road bridge.&nbsp; I do not have timing on that aspect
Once the lane shifting is completed this week
NJDOT says that this Route 42 North configuration (with the center work lane) will be in place for several years&hellip; but don&rsquo;t be alarmed as that does not mean the Browning Road bridge will take that long to complete
Something I haven&rsquo;t focused a lot on in my coverage (that I may do a video to explain) is that there are a lot more support piers to be developed in this section South of Browning Road bridge
A high-level summary (literally)&hellip; well, I think everyone realizes that the new Route 295 roadway through this project will be going up over top of Browning Road, right?&nbsp; &nbsp;(I did just review some aspects of that in <a href="https://42freeway.com/roads/direct-connection-bellmawr-video-update-july-2024-plus-update-on-when/">my prior coverage/video </a>on the Direct Connect project back in July)
the massive raised roadway segments need to be supported by some means&hellip; &nbsp;Which in this case is many carefully engineered and placed support piers
In some situations they will have to use a technique that was successfully utilized in the Missing Moves project
which is to suspend massive horizontal steel beams across two piers so that the roadway above can sit across the beam
 This design pattern is perfect for when the best support point for the overhead roadway has a lower roadway directly underneath
So simply&hellip; it appears that the project will maintain the current lane and work area configurations for a few years as the support columns and other overhead Route 295 work is developed
Popeyes Chicken for Lindenwold Still Clucking
The Billion Dollar Direct Connection Road project in Bellmawr NJ has seen significant construction progress this year with the new Wall 22 and Browning Road Bridge rebuilds underway&hellip; as well as a new law from Assemblyman Moen regarding future transportation construction in New Jersey
Direct Connection is a many-year project with the primary goal of a more direct and straighter passageway of Route 295 through the large Bellmawr interchange area.&nbsp; &nbsp;As part of the project
significant upgrades are also taking place for Route 42 and Interstate 76
which also move through this complex interchange of roads
One unforeseen challenge for the project is the large $90+ Million rebuild of a raised section of roadway which had collapsed in 2021
prior to the roadway being open to commuters.&nbsp; This led to analysis of the failure
an all-new redesign for the construction of the raised wall and roadway
as well as garnering the attention of elected officials
Steve Schapiro of NJDOT&rsquo;s Media Team provided 42Freeway with an update on the Direct Connection progress
as well as additional details on the new Transportation Construction law&hellip; which I&rsquo;ve incorporated into this article
Earlier this month Assemblyman William Moen Jr announced that his <a href="https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A3904">bill A3904</a> requiring new monitoring of Transportation Construction
has been signed into law by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
Moen is interested in all of South Jersey&rsquo;s road construction efforts
but he has also been a Bellmawr resident for most of his life and has followed the efforts of the Direct Connection project closely
The roadway collapse in 2021 was a shock to everyone
and Moen described it as &ldquo;a wake-up call&rdquo;
  In defining the need for the new legislation
the statement goes on to say an investigation on the Wall 22 incident concluded that factors leading to the collapse included the use of the wrong type of sand
as well as being built on land previously showing signs of instability.&nbsp; Heavy rains were also a factor
NJDOT adds that the new law reinforces and formalizes NJDOT&rsquo;s stringent testing and monitoring protocols and procedures for their projects
It ensures a geotechnical engineer is involved in the design and construction phases of a project
The geotechnical engineer provides recommendations on the type and frequency of geotechnical
groundwater and deformation testing and monitoring to be performed for a project
if groundwater testing and monitoring data was collected more than five years before construction begins
additional testing and monitoring would be required to ensure the assumptions upon which the design was based are still valid and have not changed.&nbsp; The law also provides for continued deformation monitoring if deemed appropriate by the geotechnical engineer
The replacement Wall 22 effort is an entirely new design based on poured-in-place concrete wall sections which are connected to a foundation of hundreds of steel piles driven down deep into the ground.&nbsp; This design ensures that the wall will stay in place
NJDOT states that 85% of the wall is rebuilt
with the initial above ground focus being on the main front concrete  structure
My observations yesterday are that on the northern end
construction crews have connected the wall to the original MSE section.&nbsp; They are now focusing on the southern abutment end where the to-be-built 295 overpass will connect to
you can clearly see that the poured concrete wall is significantly taller than prior in that it goes down much deeper and connects to the new underground foundation.&nbsp; In the prior effort
the retaining wall design sat higher atop a raised sand-based slope
we will see the return of a raised earth slope at the front of the wall
but it will not be  supporting any of the wall or roadway weight and is needed more for management of surface water
Currently it appears crews are applying a waterproofing agent on that lower segment of the new wall
ahead of eventually bringing in earth for the new front slope
NJDOT states that once the Wall 22 and abutment segments are completed over the summer
work will begin to backfill the raised roadway area with soil
and to redevelop the roadway on top including installation of new drainage
lane shifts will take place for 295 South traffic which comes from around the sharp Al-Jo&rsquo;s curve heading on to 295 south
Mostly a lane shift would not seem to be a big deal as area commuters have experienced dozens of lane shifts over the years&hellip; but what&rsquo;s different about this effort is
an entirely new long ramp will finally come into play
Several years ago a long southbound ramp was developed on the western edge of the lowered roadway &ldquo;bowl&rdquo;
 That ramp rises up from the lower levels of 42 and 76 and heads back up to Route 295 South on its way to Westville and other parts South
it is expected in the next few weeks traffic will be finally utilizing that new ramp
the plan is for traffic travelling down to 295 South through Bellmawr and looking to continue on through 295 South will stay to the far right as they travel underneath the Browning Road bridge construction efforts
then head up that new ramp and continue to the right and head down 295 south
cars will also still be able to travel from 295 South onto 42 South
supported by a separate single lane that is also shifted to that far right side
These traffic movements are being done so that additional column construction can take place in the center of the lower roadway &ldquo;bowl&rdquo;
Those columns will support the Route 295 roadway which will eventually travel over top of the new Browning Road bridge
In my current photos you can see outer support column work that is already underway
 It&rsquo;s an extra challenge to the design of a large project like this when the traffic still needs to flow
as engineers have to consider &ldquo;ok while we&rsquo;re there we should also build&hellip;&rdquo;
One aspect of the project coming up that I was not aware of is a new retaining wall will be built near Essex Avenue.&nbsp; This information was provided in the NJDOT update to 42Freeway but I don&rsquo;t have specifics on that just yet
Construction of the new Browning Road Bridge is progressing nicely with utility relocation onto the new bridge being nearly completed
and the deck pans and bridge joint have been installed already
NJDOT contractors expect to pour the concrete deck later this spring
work on the parapets and on the approaches to the new bridge will take place
The new Browning Road ridge is expected to open this fall
and then the temporary bridge will be dismantled
All of the work that is in progress now is still part of Contract 3
Contract 4 is the final piece of this complex puzzle and is in final design stage
That being said I had previously reported that as part of a Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission meeting it was stated the expected final completion date for the full project is 2032
 Final design efforts could impact that date
Williamstown Wawa on Glassboro Road Expects April Opening – Now Hiring
Chase Bank Development Planned for Washington Township ShopRite Center
2024 at 10:51 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Atilis Gym co-owner Ian Smith stands outside the gym in Bellmawr
The gym in New Jersey reopened for business early Monday
defying a state order that shut down nonessential businesses
NJ — The business license of two gym owners who defied COVID-19 emergency orders will remain revoked after an appeals court ruled Wednesday that a local government did not violate their rights
issued an appeal last fall in an effort to get their mercantile license back
The borough's mayor and council revoked it after they kept their gym open during the pandemic
defying the state's COVID restrictions and ensuing court orders against them
the attorneys for Smith and Trumbetti argued that Bellmawr officials revoked their license in retaliation against them exercising their First Amendment rights
But the three-judge panel in the appellate court found that the borough took those actions because the gym owners violated state COVID orders
the record contains no evidence that defendant revoked their license as retaliation for the exercise of their First Amendment rights," says the court ruling
the borough did not violate their general right to work
merely preventing Smith and Trumbetti from working in one particular capacity within the municipality
an attorney who represented the borough and its elected officials
said his clients were pleased with the ruling
"The decision upholds the rule of law and it also re-inforces Bellmawr's decision to do what's best for the public health and safety of its residents," Platt told Patch
An attorney representing the appealing parties did not return Patch's request for comment in time for initial publication
Smith and Trumbetti racked up more than 80 summonses for defying New Jersey's COVID protocols. But the charges <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nj-gym-owner-pandemic-lockdown-cleared/3865606/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">were dropped</a> last spring
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A Bergen County man was killed when his tractor-trailer went off an interstate ramp in Camden County
A crash scene investigation near the interchange for Interstate 76 and Interstate 295 in Bellmawr
Jorge Valdivia of North Arlington died in the crash on Monday
The wreck happened in Bellmawr on the ramp from Interstate 76 East to Interstate 295 North at around 2:04 a.m
Investigators said Valdivia was driving a Freightliner truck with a pneumatic trailer when it went over the ramp's right guardrail and went down an embankment
Valdivia was ejected from the tractor-trailer and the 46-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene
Investigators remained at the scene more than 12 hours after the crash
According to the state Department of Transportation
the right lane of I-76 East and shoulder was closed near Exit 1B as of 3 p.m.
creating about five to 10 minutes of delays
42 back open at I-295 after overturned dump truck spills stones on roadwayBELLMAWR
New Jersey (WPVI) -- Route 42 is back open in Bellmawr after an overturned dump truck shut down the southbound lanes for several hours early Monday morning
The driver had to be extracted after being trapped inside the overturned truck
There has been no word on the driver&#x27;s condition
It took several hours for the debris to be cleared from the roadway
The moon will be taking a "bite" out of the sun in a partial solar eclipse this weekend
It will pass in front of and partially block the sun
casting a shadow on parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday
the partial eclipse will already be in progress during sunrise
where the sun would appear completely blocked
so no one will be able to see a total solar eclipse this time," NASA said
noting that "everyone watching the eclipse must use proper eye protection or an indirect viewing method to protect their eyes."
For a rundown of viewing times by city see the chart below from NASA
The city is followed by when the coverage period starts Saturday morning
When watching a partial solar eclipse directly with your eyes
you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times
noting that eclipse glasses are not regular sunglasses
A Blackwood man was killed in a shooting in Runnemede
Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said in a news release
Runnemede police responded to a man shot on Forrest Avenue at around 6:03 p.m
Molyneaux was rushed to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and pronounced dead at 7:11 p.m
No arrests have been made as of press time
Anyone with information about the deadly shooting should call the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-225-5539 or the Runnemede Police Department at 856-939-0330
2024 at 4:07 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Two toddlers drowned in a backyard pool Sunday morning in Bellmawr
NJ — Two toddlers drowned in a backyard pool Sunday morning in Bellmawr
The incident occurred at a home on the unit block of Old Kings Highway, according to <a href="https://6abc.com/post/2-toddlers-dead-after-drowning-backyard-pool-bellmawr-camden-county/15148398/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">6abc Action News</a>. Their deaths have been ruled accidental, authorities told <a href="https://www.nj.com/camden/2024/08/2-toddlers-drown-in-nj-backyard-pool.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NJ Advance Media</a>
Four people have drowned in Camden County in recent days, including <a href="https://patch.com/new-jersey/gloucestertownship/missing-swimmers-drowned-camden-county-lake-reports" target="_blank">two swimmers</a> who were found dead in a lake in Winslow Township
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information comes in
BELLMAWR – A local gym that defied pandemic regulations has lost another round in a court fight with the state’s top health official
An appeals court recently rejected multiple arguments by Atilis Gym
which since May 2020 has battled with Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli
During the dispute, the gym’s operators — Frank Trumbetti and Ian Smith — gave speeches to protesters, appeared on conservative TV outlets and, before a crowd of cheering supporters, <a href=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/2020/07/31/atilis-gym-bellmawr-smith-trumbetti-murphy-coronavirus/5555541002/>kicked in a plywood barrier intended to keep their gym closed.</a>
And both sides went to court so often that the 38-page appellate ruling devoted 20 pages to detailing the fight
the gym’s appeal sought to overturn court-ordered sanctions of about $124,000
or some $15,500 for each day of non-compliance with COVID-19 restrictions
More: Canabis Corridor on Route 73<a href=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2023/03/13/mount-laurel-nj-weed-dispensary-vote-sage-diner/69992322007/ target=_blank>Is Mount Laurel creating a Cannabis Row? Latest marijuana businesses hear fates</a>
but the appellate ruling found they were “a coercive measure grounded in Atilis' ability to pay.”
The decision noted a GoFundMe campaign intended to support the gym’s court fight had raised more than $152,000 by August 2020
ordered the shutdown of “non-essential” businesses
The gym defied Murphy's order when it re-opened on May 16
later declaring itself an “anti-Murphy autonomous zone.”
A judge ordered a barrier to block access to the business
but Trumbetti and Smith smashed through it on Aug
the gym contended its operations were not "unsafe," challenged the legality of classifying businesses as non-essential
and asserted COVID-19 victims were “not dying as everyone would lead us to believe.”
The three-judge panel upheld several lower-court rulings against the gym
including a refusal to delay the health department’s enforcement proceedings until resolution of criminal charges arising from the dispute
It rejected Atilis’ claim that it was protected by the First Amendment after becoming an “official location” for U.S
The gym at that time said it "had stopped charging membership fees” and that its patrons were “volunteers for the campaign.”
The ruling noted the gym’s social media accounts did not mention the Mehta campaign
but instead showed videos of people working out on its equipment
And it pointed to Trumbetti’s statement that people entering the business “were given disinfectant spray bottles to use on the gym equipment
further evincing that exercise activities were taking place.”
The decision also said the gym’s “collateral attacks” on the propriety of orders imposed by Murphy and Persichilli “lack substantive merit.”
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post
Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.