Headline: Heads Up, Gloucester City: I‑76 West Exit 1D (to Route 130 North) Shuts for About Two Months — Plan Your I‑295 Exit and Local Trips Now
By Ari Williams, 295Times
If your daily route takes you off I‑76 West at Exit 1D onto Route 130 North in Gloucester City, start planning now: NJDOT is closing that ramp for roughly two months for construction and safety work. This isn’t just an inconvenience for freeway commuters — it’s a ripple that will touch nearby neighborhoods, deliveries, schools and the handful of businesses clustered around the Route 130 corridor in Camden County.
What’s happening and why it matters
– The closure affects the I‑76 Westbound ramp that feeds drivers onto Route 130 North (Gloucester City). NJDOT says the work is to repair and upgrade the ramp — standard infrastructure maintenance, but on a heavily traveled link.
– That ramp serves commuters coming from Philadelphia and points west who then head north on Route 130 toward Gloucester City, Brooklawn, Westville and connections to I‑295. With the ramp closed, drivers will need to use alternate interchanges or local streets, adding time and volume to nearby corridors.
Where drivers from I‑295 and local towns will feel it
– Folks who normally exit I‑295 and use I‑76/Route 130 as part of their commute should expect changes. Depending on where you’re coming from (Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Westville, Mt. Ephraim, or the Camden area), detours can add a few minutes to your trip or funnel more cars to surface streets like Broadway, King Street and Klemm Avenue.
– Local delivery routes (restaurants, grocery and convenience stores along Route 130) will likely be adjusted. Businesses that rely on quick highway access — service shops, small retailers and food spots — may see shifts in customer flows during the closure.
What local businesses and residents should watch
– The Route 130 stretch near Exit 1D is a compact commercial corridor — gas stations, takeout restaurants, delis and neighborhood retailers. Even if a specific national chain isn’t front-and-center, smaller merchants on and off Route 130 rely on the steady stream of highway traffic. Less through-traffic or longer access routes could nudge some customers to other nearby shopping strips.
– For up-to-date location context, check Google Maps to see how close stores are to the ramp and where local side streets connect; community sentiment and business-hour notes show up on Yelp reviews if you want to gauge how a place may handle deliveries or rush-hour crowds.
– If you’re a local business owner, coordinate with your suppliers ahead of time, update your store hours on Google/Yelp, and communicate detour directions to regular customers via social media or storefront signs.
Smart detouring and travel tips
– NJDOT will post signed detours; follow those first and foremost.
– Use GPS apps (Google Maps, Waze) that will re-route in real time and show traffic backups. Those apps will also surface alternate exits and the best surface-street routes across Gloucester City and neighboring communities.
– Consider shifting drive times if possible, carpooling, or using local transit options where available. If your trip involves getting to an I‑295 exit, give yourself extra time and consider using different exits depending on your direction.
Broader context: aging infrastructure and why this keeps happening
– Short-term closures like this are part of a larger pattern — New Jersey has an aging network of ramps, bridges and interchanges that need frequent repair. State and federal funding programs have increased maintenance activity, meaning more temporary disruptions but safer roads in the long run.
– For local commuters and business owners, that can feel like a trade-off: pain now for infrastructure that lasts longer and moves goods and people more safely later.
Where to get official updates
– Watch NJDOT alerts and the NJ 511 system for real-time traffic and closure updates.
– Local outlets like NJ.com, Patch and community Facebook groups often publish neighborhood-level information and chatter about how detours are working (or not).
– Check Google Maps for live traffic; Yelp and Google Business pages can show whether a business is changing hours or pickup procedures during construction.
Why 295Times readers should care
This closure doesn’t just change one ramp — it shifts traffic patterns for a chunk of Camden County and the communities along I‑295 and Route 130. Whether you live in Gloucester City, commute from Brooklawn, or run a small business off the highway, the effects will be local and tangible. Being prepared — checking official alerts, allowing extra travel time, and communicating with customers and employees — will make the next couple of months easier for everyone who uses these roads.
If you’ve seen unusual detours or heavy neighborhood traffic because of the ramp closure, drop a note in the comments or send us a tip; we’ll keep tracking how the project affects travel and businesses around I‑295 exits and Camden County towns.
Ari Williams
295Times — covering the exits, towns and county roads that matter to your daily life
Sources and tools for readers:
– NJDOT / NJ 511 (official travel and construction alerts)
– Google Maps (location context and live traffic)
– Yelp (local business hours and customer notes)
– Local reporting hubs like NJ.com and Patch for regional coverage and follow-up stories
