The most dangerous intersection in South Jersey won’t be as bad anymore.
The Potter and Ellis streets intersection project was officially declared finished on Tuesday, Dec. 27, as the Camden County freeholders and Haddonfield Mayor Tish Colombi officially ended the project at McDonnel Park.
The Borough of Haddonfield completed a study of the intersection several years ago, Colombi said after the press conference, which revealed the intersection to be the most dangerous in terms of accidents in all of South Jersey.
It was easy to see why, as the unregulated intersection called for several merges as cars came into Haddonfield from Cherry Hill and travelled either on to Ellis Street or Potter Street.
Now, cars stop and wait at the newly reconstructed intersection, which boasts a four-way traffic signal leading into and out of Haddonfield.
The $2.3 million project included the installation of a new traffic signal, repaving of intersection approaches and the construction of new turning lanes. New curbing with ADA compliant curb cuts and ramps were installed, along with new storm water grates and streetscape improvements.
Haddonfield contributed about $1 million to the project. Cherry Hill did not contribute financially to the project, but officials previously said former Mayor Bernie Platt was on board with the improvements.
Two phases of the project were completed since June; during the first phase, Potter Street was closed to traffic and Ellis remained open. During the second phase, Ellis Street was closed and Potter Street was reopened.
For half of the year, driving into Haddonfield required putting up with the detours, the loud orange signs and the extra traffic. The freeholders originally anticipated finishing the project this month, but were happy to announce the project’s completion one month earlier.
“We are proud that this project was completed early and under budget,” said Freeholder Ian Leonard, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works. “This project benefits residents in both Haddonfield Borough and Cherry Hill Township due to its location at the border of the two municipalities.”
“We appreciated everyone’s patience and caution while we made these improvements,” Leonard said. “We understand that detours and traffic delays may have been an annoyance, but I am sure that everyone will agree the finished project was worth the inconvenience.”
