Rain brings floods to Adm. Wilson Blvd. roadwork

Drivers on the Admiral Wilson Boulevard were reminded again yesterday that they have the worst of both worlds.

Since September, they have had to put up with lane restrictions and traffic jams because of work to reduce the boulevard's tendency to flood. And as yesterday's storm proved, the road still turns into a river whenever it rains.

Two lanes were closed in each direction during parts of the morning and evening rush hours due to standing water, causing delays of up to a half-hour for motorists.

Joe Dee, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, said drivers would see some relief by summer, when new drainage pipes are to be operational. But the full effect won't be realized until the $7.8 million project is completed in November, Dee said.

Admiral Wilson Boulevard, the westernmost leg of U.S. Route 30 in New Jersey, runs along the Cooper River from the Airport Circle to downtown Camden.

A primary commuter route between South Jersey and Philadelphia, it carries about 79,000 vehicles a day.

During heavy rains and high tides, the flooding creates widespread traffic jams and forces commuters onto local roads in search of alternate routes.

In the last four years, the road has been closed by flooding 80 times, NJDOT officials said in September, when construction to fix the problem began.

NJDOT officials say the drainage system that is being installed would have prevented 66 of those closings.

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