Airport Circle Ramp In Pennsauken Shut Down In The Rain This Week...Why?

By David Madden

PENNSAUKEN, N.J., (CBS) -- For South Jersey drivers Tuesday and Wednesday morning, it was a nightmare trying to get from Routes 70 and 38 around the Airport Circle to Route 30 into Camden and across the Ben Franklin Bridge. That's because a ramp over the circle was partially or totally closed because of rain.

So the question is...why?

Part of the reason, candidly, is poor driving in wet weather. Signs are up suggesting you slow down from the posted 45 mile per hour speed limit because of sharp turns. You don't and that's when fender benders happen.

"Whether it's rain or snow, slow down a little bit. Take a little extra time," New Jersey Department of Transportation spokesman Stephen Schapiro told KYW Newsradio.

Pennsauken police closed the ramp in the rain as a safety precaution.

The ramp itself is well within safe driving parameters, according to a check by state road crews this week, although Schapiro says some work will be overnight Friday into Saturday. "We are going to go out and repave that portion of the ramp just to make sure that we have the best asphalt we can down on that ramp," he said. Estimates as to when the ramp was last repaved range from a few months to 5 years ago, depending on who you talk to.