Marlton Circle project on schedule

Levittown - tmchale@phillyBurbs.com609-871-8163 EVESHAM - It's been six months since dignitaries from the state, county and township gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking of the $31 million Marlton Circle elimination project. Since then numerous trees around the circle have been removed, replaced with mounds and mounds of dirt and construction equipment, along with several new lane shifts and the occasional closings.What hasn't changed is the traffic at the infamous circle known for its congestion and accidents."It's still the Marlton Circle. You still have backups (during rush hour)," Mayor Randy Brown said.But he's been pleasantly surprised by how well the improvements have gone so far. "It's really been seamless," Brown said. "I'm very impressed with the speed of the construction, and I'm very happy with the communication between the DOT and the business community."The state Department of Transportation began the project in April. State officials said the project, where Route 73 meets Route 70, will eliminate the circle for an overpass to improve traffic flow and reduce the number of accidents.The circle typically was the scene of between 150 and 175 accidents a year and was deemed one of the state's most dangerous intersections, according to the DOT."This is one of the busiest intersections in South Jersey, with 100,000 vehicles traveling through it per day," DOT spokesman Timothy Greeley said. "(The DOT) is confident that the replacement of the circle with an overpass will best serve motorists traveling through this corridor by improving safety and congestion."Construction is expected to take three stages before completion in the winter of 2011."Right now the contractor is working in Stage 1D, which involves the preparation necessary to shift Route 73 traffic to the west, allowing for the room to build the new overpass structure carrying Route 73 over 70," Greeley said. Drainage and utilities are being installed throughout the intersection.Greeley said the contractor is on schedule and expected to finish on time.Motorists can expect single-lane closings on Routes 73 and 70 overnight between 9 and 6. Also, periodic closings are expected to allow for the installation of pipe.While the project has had its share of critics over the years leading up to the construction, some business owners said Friday that they agreed with the mayor that the work has gone better than expected."I think they're doing a good job," said Donna Felker, who owns Donna's Bag at the Marlton Crossing shopping center off Route 73 and Old Marlton Pike. "I've got to give them a lot of credit. I think they're doing a lot of the work at night."Felker, who has been at the same location for 22 years, said that she has seen a drop in business but that some of the decline could be because of the bad economy.Chris Lois, manager of Pietro's Coal Oven Pizzeria on Route 70 just west of the circle, said the restaurant has also experienced a decrease in business."It's not appealing for our customers," Lois said, referring to the huge mound of dirt next to the pizzeria and the changes to the property's entrance and exit. Barry Felker, who co-owns Donna's Bag with his wife, opposed the project from the beginning but agreed that the work hasn't been that bad.He said he wished so many trees had not been cut down."Before, we had a beautiful barrier (from the circle)," Felker said.Landscaping will be part of the improvements, during the third stage of the project.

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