Township and State May Not Agree on Riverton Road/Route 130 Plans

Now that Cinnaminson is again trying to get involved in potential state plans to alleviate traffic concerns at Riverton Road and Route 130, the question remains if the two entities have the same idea for the busy intersection.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Minniti said the township would like a two-way Riverton Road across Route 130 but a spokesman for the Department of Transportation said the state was looking at “relatively minor modifications.”

However Minniti said a two-way Riverton Road could be classified as a minor modification.

That idea was presented to the township by the state in a meeting nearly 10 years ago.

“You still have to have the jug handle but it basically created two lanes so traffic can go both ways across,” Minniti said.

But if the state wants to fix an intersection, it could take more than a decade for anything to happen. That’s why The state would still foot the bill.

Minniti said earlier this week the township has yet to hear back from the state but DOT spokesman Timothy Greeley said the state would most likely take care of it.

Greeley was not specific with state plans for the intersection but did mention “retiming measures” to traffic lights.

Minniti said that could help with pedestrian crossing and rear-end collisions but would not alleviate the traffic issues on Riverton Road that nearly backs up to Meetinghouse Road during rush hour.

According to the traffic unit, there have been 69 motor vehicle accidents at that intersection since Jan. 1, 2008. Of those accidents, 47 were with injuries. None were fatalities and none were hit pedestrians. 

There isn’t a lot involved with making Riverton Road at Route 130 two ways, the deputy mayor said, compared to the undertaking of eliminating the mess Cinnaminson Avenue at Route 130 used to be.

“If you compare it to the Routes 73/70 circle removal or the Cinnaminson Avenue project, those were huge,” Minniti said. “Allowing traffic both ways on Riverton Road is minor in comparison. [But] I don’t know if that is what [Greeley] means.”

The township will have to wait to hear back from the state.

“In conjunction with DOT, where we do all the work, and it’s submitted for their approval, we could do it in a few years,” Minniti said. “We’re hopeful DOT would allow us to take an active role so we can bring those improvements a lot more quickly.”

With the addition of and the , there could be an increase in traffic, but the shopping center has DOT approval based on several studies.

“The go-kart facility won’t generate more trips like Clover or  did,” Minniti said. “There’s no change of use that substantial that DOT would extinguish those access rights.”

When opened farther up Route 130, DOT made the developer provide an access point to the center via Andover Road; there was no access point prior like there already is in the old Clover center.

“The failure of the intersection has nothing to do with the shopping center,” Minniti said. “With development in Cinnaminson and Moorestown, the stress of that intersection is becoming greater and greater.”

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