NJDOT To Address I-295 Wall Collapse Wednesday

BELLMAWR, NJ — State legislators will host a public meeting with members of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to discuss the partial collapse of a retaining wall that happened on I-295 late last month.

“On Wednesday, the NJ Fifth Legislative District Team of Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, Assemblyman William W. Spearman and I will be hosting a virtual meeting to receive an update on the Direct Connect Project from Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti of the New Jersey Department of Transportation,” Assemblyman Bill Moen said in a Facebook post. “The public is encouraged to join us at the virtual meeting and will be able to submit questions at registration. It is our hope that any questions that are not addressed during the meeting can be sent to the Commissioner's team for response in the days following the event.”

It will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. Members of the public can register to participate by emailing District5@njleg.org or by visiting https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9Up7kgMKTlazpt1o5gv9uQ.

The partial collapse took place near Essex Avenue in Bellmawr on March 25. That area of the road remains closed while NJDOT officials determine what caused the collapse. Read more here: Wall Built As Part of $800M Project Collapses On I-295: Officials

The wall was built as part of the $800 million Direct Connection Project, the goal of which is to provide a seamless route for drivers traveling on I-295 through the interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42.

The project was announced in 2019, and was to be completed by 2024, but the finish had already been postponed until 2028 before the collapse, nj.com reports. It is unclear how the collapse impacts the schedule, but Moen said he is hopeful that it is one of the questions that will be answered Wednesday night.