Crash-Prone Roads In Moorestown Will Get Closer Look

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A portion of Moorestown roads where nearly 100 crashes happened during a recent 5-year span will be scrutinized closely in the coming years in an effort to enhance safety and improve operations on these roads.

The roads getting this closer look will be where County Route 614 (Tom Brown Road), County Route 603 (Riverton Road) and New Albany Road come together, said Julie Steponanko, an engineer with Greenman-Pedersen and one of the professionals who will be taking a look at the junction of these roads.

There were 93 crashes at this location from 2016 to 2020 and a review of the intersection suggests possible reasons for that number, she said during a virtual public meeting on Aug. 16.

"New Albany Road does not have any marked shoulders," she said. "There are some substandard sight distance issues ... two of the intersections are T intersections that are skewed so which means they don't come together at a 90-degree angle."

Some options being considered to make the intersection of these three roads safer that were discussed during the meeting were installing traffic lights at all points in the intersection of these roads, implementing a stop control measure at Riverton Road, removing and/or trimming vegetation to increase visibility, installing visible crosswalk lines and placing streetlights at various points in the intersection of these roads.

Another option would be to build a roundabout similar to where Branch Pike, Riverton Road and Parry Road come together in Cinnaminson, according to Steponanko.

"There were multiple crashes there every year, including one fatality in 2011," she said. "The roundabout was constructed around 2016 ... From 2017 onward, except for 2020 when crashes went up throughout the country, you really didn't have any crashes at this location."

Speaking in more general terms, she tried to alleviate some concerns that have previously been aired regarding roundabouts.

"Everybody thinks a roundabout is a traffic circle, and it's not necessarily the case," Steponanko said. "The big difference between a roundabout and a traffic circle is it features channelized curved approaches that reduce vehicle speed, entry yield control that gives right away to circulating traffic and counterclockwise flow around a central island that minimizes conflict points."

She continued, "the net result is lower speed and reduced conflicts. And that typically means that the right angle and left turn crashes, which typically tend to be the most severe [crashes], are substantially reduced. It can be up to an 80 percent reduction in fatal and serious injuries."

The closer look in Moorestown is in its earliest stages, and any final decisions are contingent upon securing funding and even then, could take up to six years to come to fruition, she said.

Those interested in learning more about the project can visit www.tombrownroadintersection.com, added Steponanko. That website also allows one to sign up for email updates on the project, added Steponanko.

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