Papal Visit to Impact Some Camden County Operations

The Pope’s visit will have an impact on the operation and schedules of some Camden County entities, county officials said Thursday afternoon.

Camden County government operations will be ongoing during the Papal visit, and the Camden County Courthouse/Camden City Hall building will be open on Friday and Monday.

However, Camden County College has cancelled classes at all campuses on Sept. 26 and 27, due to anticipated heavy travel in the region. Rutgers-Camden has cancelled all classes from 4 p.m. on Sept. 24 until 12:20 p.m. on Sept. 28.

The Nilsa Cruz-Perez Branch of the Camden County Library in downtown Camden will operate on a reduced schedule. The branch will close early on Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. and on Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. The branch will be closed on Sept. 26, and is scheduled to reopen at noon on Sept. 28.

“Please remember that travel restrictions will be in place this weekend as safety is a primary concern for this event, but make no mistake this is a celebration and we want to do everything possible to act as a catalyst for anyone who wants to participate and see Pope Francis,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli said. “This is a festive occasion and a historic weekend to see a man who is leading his flock to our region for a once in a lifetime event.”

Camden County Freeholder Jeffrey Nash is promoting public transportation as thousands of tickets remain to ride PATCO, the Riverline Train and the RiverLink Ferry.

“I will be attending the Papal visit and taking PATCO to Philadelphia along with thousands of others going to see Pope Francis,” Nash said. “This is an historic occasion and if you want to be there and be part of the celebration public transportation is the way to go.”

The Admiral Wilson Boulevard will be closed from the Airport Circle to the bridge, and I-676 will be closed from Morgan Boulevard to the bridge. These closures will coincide with the Ben Franklin Bridge closing at 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26.

Other impacted roads will include I-295 and Routes 38, 42, 45, 47, 55, 70, 73, 76, 90, 130, 168 and 322.

There are 8,500 parking spaces for Sept. 26 and 27, on the Camden waterfront for individuals and families who want to participate in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

These spaces need to be preregistered for through a web portal https://gatewaytothepope.clickandpark.com/ in order to secure a space.

Vehicles that are not pre-registered will not be permitted into the parking lot.

“Parking on the waterfront will provide easy, convenient access to Philadelphia through public transportation,” Cappelli said. “These are the best options to see the Pope and participate in the festivities over the weekend. If you park on the waterfront you won’t need to walk a block to get to the ferry, which will be taking up to 500 people an hour over the Delaware River.”

The Freeholder Board is asking for anyone taking part in the pilgrimage to see the Pope to plan well in advance before they travel and properly plan out a route. PATCO has announced they will be selling tickets the day of on the weekend of the Pope’s participation.

The Health Department has set up hydration stations along the walking route along the waterfront and on the Ben Franklin Bridge.

“This is an all hands on deck operation including members of the Health Department,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez said. “It’s well known that more than 50 percent of the total population embarking on this pilgrimage will be elderly, so it’s important that health department personnel is participating and working during this weekend.”