The following is from Wake Up NJ:
The NJ 295/42 Direct Connection Project: A Modern-Day "Big Dig" Nightmare? Why Is This Highway Interchange Taking FOREVER? 
If you're a South Jersey commuter stuck in the eternal traffic jam at the I-295/I-76/Route 42 interchange in Bellmawr, you know the pain. This "Direct Connection" project meant to fix one of NJ's most congested and crash-prone spots by building elevated bridges and direct ramps started construction in March 2013
That's 12+ years in (as of September 2025), with full completion now delayed to 2032. We're talking 19 years total for what should be a straightforward highway upgrade! Original plan? Done by 2021
But nope—utility issues, right-of-way fights, and a massive retaining wall collapse in 2021 (costing $90M+ to fix) have turned it into a black hole of bureaucracy and delays. At a cool $900 million (and climbing), it's already rivaling Boston's infamous Big Dig in absurdity
But here's the kicker: Compare this to ACTUAL modern marvels built in under 15 years. These beasts involved insane engineering, harsh conditions, and billions in costs—yet they got done FASTER than our little NJ interchange! Check this out:
- Channel Tunnel (Chunnel): 6 years (1988–1994), $21B. Digging a 31-mile undersea link between UK and France? Met in the middle despite floods and fires
- Hoover Dam: 5 years (1931–1936), $1B (adjusted). Taming the Colorado River with millions of cubic yards of concrete in 120°F heat! During the Depression!
- Millau Viaduct (tallest bridge on Earth): 3 years (2001–2004), $400M. "Rolling" a massive cable-stayed span over a windy French gorge
- Mini Sky City(57-story prefab skyscraper): Just 19 days assembly (2015), $160M!
Even ancient wonders like the Great Pyramid of Giza took only 10–14 years (~2580 BCE) with 20,000 workers and copper tools hauling 2.3 million stone blocks. No cranes, no computer, just ramps and grit. And the Colossus of Rhodes? 12 years for a 108-ft bronze statue on a tiny island
The 295/42 project? It's "only" reconfiguring ramps and bridges for 150,000 daily drivers, improving safety (crunches are 7x the state average), and adding noise walls/utilities. Sure, it's in a tight urban spot near homes and a cemetery, but with modern tech, lasers, and endless funding—why 19 years?
Delays from compressible soils, groundwater "boat sections," and that Wall 22 fiasco (slid due to sandy foundations) are legit, but come on, NJDOT— we've got robots building space stations faster!
South Jersey deserves better. This endless construction is shaking foundations, clogging locals, and burning cash while traffic weaves at 35 mph. When it's done (if ever), it'll be great—direct 60 mph flow to Philly, Shore, and Delaware. But at this rate, my grandkids might be driving it
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