BRICK – It didn’t take long for drivers to report traffic congestion near the new Wawa, which had its grand opening on November 11 at the site which used to be part of the Laurelton Mobile Home Park on Route 88.
The reason for traffic jams is that left turns in and out of the parking lot are permitted, requiring drivers to cross over the two-lane Route 88 and jamming the intersection at Jack Martin Blvd.
“It’s a terrible idea,” said Mayor John G. Ducey. “It’s a mess there.”
Route 88 is a state road and is under the governance of the State Department of Transportation.
Before the Wawa application was approved, residents expressed concerns about potential traffic problems there, he said.
“When you live here, you know what the problems are going to be,” the mayor said.
One way to avoid the problem area is to exit the Wawa in the back and go onto Jack Martin Boulevard, then drive up to the traffic light, making it easier to make a left turn, he said.
“Please don’t try to make that left turn [onto Route 88] – it’s not illegal, because the DOT did not make it illegal,” Mayor Ducey said.
Other Route 88 gas stations, such as Exxon and Conoco, do not allow left turns out of their parking lots, he said. “Unfortunately, they didn’t do that with this particular one.”
