Gloucester & Burlington Counties
If you drive the I-295 corridor through Gloucester and Burlington counties long enough, you learn the landmarks: the eternal construction zones, the specific exit signs, and increasingly, the sight of cars snaking around a Chick-fil-A drive-thru during the lunch rush.
The Atlanta-based fast-food giant isn’t done with South Jersey yet. A fresh wave of development is hitting the corridor, involving three distinct projects—a major new plan in Glassboro, ongoing moves in Blackwood, and an approved relocation in Mount Laurel.
These aren’t just new spots to grab waffle fries. For commuters using the exits nearby, these projects are significant traffic generators that will alter local circulation patterns, impact neighboring businesses, and test the patience of municipal planners. Here is a neighborhood-level look at what’s happening along the artery.
Glassboro: Feeding the Rowan Rush
The most consequential update comes out of Glassboro, where plans are advancing for a new restaurant near the town’s main commercial spine.
If you look at a map of Glassboro, the strategy is obvious. The Delsea Drive corridor and the shopping nodes orbiting Rowan University are prime real estate. Chick-fil-A thrives on predictable, high-volume demand, and a captive campus population combined with I-295 commuter traffic creates a perfect storm for a lunchtime peak.
Why this matters locally:
The “Stacking” Problem: Chick-fil-A drive-thrus are famously efficient, but their sheer popularity often creates queues that spill out of parking lots and onto active roadways. For commuters using nearby connector roads to get to I-295, this can translate to sudden congestion bottlenecks at lunchtime and immediately after work hours.
The Campus Effect: Expect this location to become an immediate anchor for students and staff, shifting foot traffic patterns away from some on-campus dining and potentially pulling customers from smaller, independent eateries nearby.
Blackwood: Commercial Churn Near Route 42
The Blackwood project highlights the ongoing redevelopment momentum in Gloucester Township. Sitting near the multiple spine roads that feed into the complex I-295/Route 42 interchange, this area is already a high-traffic zone.
Adding a major quick-service restaurant here changes the midday dynamic. The key thing to watch will be intersection performance—how town planners ensure that turn lanes and signal phasing can handle the influx of cars without backing up traffic onto the feeder roads that lead to the highway.
Mount Laurel: The Strategic Relocation
Mount Laurel’s recent movement was administrative—an approval for a relocation—but don’t overlook its impact. Relocations are rarely just about moving down the street; they are about optimization.
Mount Laurel sits squarely in the heart of the Burlington County commuter pattern. A new, purpose-built Chick-fil-A site is almost always designed for faster double-lane drive-thru throughput. For I-295 motorists, this means a quicker in-and-out pit stop. The interesting subplot here will be what happens to the old site—a vacant parcel in a prime location can either revitalize a micro-retail node or become a localized blight depending on how quickly it’s re-tenanted.
What We Are Watching Next
Across all three towns, the battleground now moves to the planning boards. The focus will be on the unsexy but crucial details of traffic engineering: drive-thru “stacking” capacity, stormwater management, and lighting protocols.
These projects aren’t just about sandwiches; they’re about how roadside development affects our daily travel.
If you live, work, or commute near the Glassboro or Blackwood exits, or use Mount Laurel to get on I-295, keep an eye on your local intersections. I’ll keep following municipal filings and planning board agendas to bring you updates on approvals and traffic mitigation plans.
— Ari Williams, 295Times.com
