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*[[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]]
*[[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]]
*[[Montvale, New Jersey|Montvale]]
*[[Montvale, New Jersey|Montvale]]
*[[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown Township]]
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Revision as of 17:01, 30 May 2009

Route information
Maintained by New Jersey Turnpike Authority
Length172.40 mi[1] (277.45 km)
Existed1952–present
Major junctions
Major intersections A.C. Expy in Egg Harbor Twp, NJ
NJ 37 in Toms River Twp, NJ
I-195 in Wall Twp, NJ
NJ 18/NJ 36 in Tinton Falls, NJ
US 9/NJ 440 in Woodbridge, NJ
I-95/NJTP in Woodbridge Twp, NJ
I-78 in Union/Hillside Twp, NJ
I-280 in East Orange, NJ
I-80 in Saddle Brook Twp, NJ
NJ 17 in Paramus, NJ
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
Highway system
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
 444 

The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a 172.4-mile (277-km)[1] limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York state line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at the southern tip of the state. Its name refers to the state nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer to it as simply the Parkway. The Parkway's official (unsigned) designation is Route 444. The highway connects to a short segment of the New York State Thruway known as the Parkway Extension, which is officially designated (but unsigned) as New York State Reference Route 982L. That 2.4 mile[2] segment connects to the Thruway mainline. The Parkway has been ranked as the busiest toll highway in the country based on number of toll transactions.[3][4]

Route description

Garden State Parkway northbound at mile marker 6 in Middle Township.

The Garden State Parkway begins in Lower Township at a traffic light with Route 109.[1] For the first three and a half miles, the Parkway crosses over streams. At 3.48 miles (5.60 km), the Parkway crosses over Taylor Creek and enters Middle Township. Exit 4 is for Route 47 to Wildwood.[1] At 6.54 miles (10.53 km), Parkway Exit 6, which is for Route 147 and Wildwood, leaves to the right. The first traffic light exit, Exit 9, is for Shellbay Avenue. The second traffic light intersection, Exit 10, is for County Route 657, also known as Stone Harbor Blvd, at Cape Regional Medical Center, the county's only hospital. Exit 11 is for U.S. Route 9 at the Cape May County Park & Zoo. In May of 2009, guardrails were installed in between the northbound and southbound lanes between mile markers 7 and 11.5. This was due to the numerous fatal accidents that occurred in the past year where a driver lost on control of the car (or in more extreme circumstances, a drunk driver), and inadvertently ending up facing head on traffic. The rails will prevent that from happening. Exit 13 is for Avalon Boulevard. At 14.85 miles (23.90 km), the Parkway enters Dennis Township after crossing Uncle Aaron's Creek. At 17.5 miles (28.2 km), Exit 17 leaves to the right for County Route 625.[1] At milepost 19.38, the Parkway enters its first toll, the Cape May Toll Plaza. A little more than 20 miles (32 km) in, Exit 20 leaves for Route 50. In Upper Township, Exit 25 leaves for County Route 623. At 27.77 miles (44.69 km), the Parkway enters Atlantic County.[1]

Major Communities[1]

Just before Exit 29 for U.S. Route 9, the Parkway enters the Great Egg Toll Plaza.[1] Exit 30 leaves to the right at milepost 30 for Laurel Road in Somers Point which leads to Ocean City via a circle and, past that, the Route 52 causeway. Now in Egg Harbor Township, Exit 36 opens onto local roads. Exit 37 is the Parkway's interchange with the Black Horse Pike (US 40/322). Exit 38 is for the Atlantic City Expressway. Now entering Galloway Township, U.S. Route 30 interchanges with the Parkway at Exit 40.[1] Exit 44 is next, leading to County Route 561 Alternate. Just after Exit 48 for U.S. Route 9 near the Mullica River and Bass River State Forest, the Parkway enters Burlington County. Exit 50 is for Route 9 as well, while Exit 52 is for Burlington County Route 654.

Picture of Exit 67 sign in Barnegat, New Jersey

Now in Ocean County, Exit 58 is for County Route 539, Exit 63 is for Route 72, and Exit 67 is for County Route 554. Exit 69 leaves to the right in both directions at milepost 70.45. Exit 74 leaves to the right, which heads to Forked River. Exit 77 is for Bayville. Exits 80 and 81 are for county roads and U.S. Route 9. Route 9 then merges in for a few miles.[1]

Between Exits 80 and 83, the Parkway has a concurrency with U.S. Route 9 just south of the Toms River Toll Plaza. It was from here that the Driscoll Expressway was to start (south of Exit 83) and run to the New Jersey Turnpike.

Route 37 interchanges with the Parkway at exits 82 and 82A in Toms River.[1] At Exit 83, U.S. Route 9 leaves the Parkway and heads north. Exit 88 comes at 89.4 miles (143.9 km) for Route 70. In Brick Township, Exit 90 (northbound) and Exit 91 (southbound), leave for County Route 549. Exit 98 leads to Interstate 195, Route 34 and Route 138. Exit 100 leaves southbound for Route 33. Route 66 also exits northbound. Exit 102, a southbound only exit leaves for Neptune Township.[1]

Heavy traffic on the Parkway in Wall
Vietnam Memorial Sign (Exit 116)

At this point the road is in Monmouth County. Exit 105 for Route 18 and Route 36 leading to Long Branch is the point at which all trucks are forced to leave the Parkway. The Parkway has become local and express lanes are now provided.[1] The express lanes have no direct access to any exits, except for Exit 105 in Tinton Falls (southbound only) and Exit 117 in Hazlet. Exits 109 and 114 are for Middletown and Holmdel. The next exit, Exit 116, is for the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. Exit 117 is for Routes 35 and 36. Exit 117A (southbound only) is for Lloyd Road in Aberdeen. Exit 120 is for Laurence Harbor Road and Cheesequake State Park.

Garden State Parkway northbound approaching Exit 11 in Cape May Court House, New Jersey

At this point, you have entered Middlesex County and are in Old Bridge Township. Southbound Exits 123 and 124 leave to the right, but only on the local lanes. The express and local lanes merge and become one highway again shortly after. Northbound Exit 125 makes a sudden exit for Route 35.[1] Afterwards, you cross the Driscoll Bridge over the Raritan River. After the bridge, Exit 127 leaves for Routes 9, 440 and Interstate 287. At milepost 129.5, the New Jersey Turnpike leaves to the right at Exit 129. Southbound Exits 127 and 129 are merged into one exit, which is marked as Exit 129. A southbound only exit, Exit 130 is for U.S. Route 1. The next three exits are marked 131, 131A and 131B. The lettered ones are for Metropark, while Exit 131 is for Route 27.

Signage at the end of the Parkway thanking you for driving it

Exit 135 is for Clark Township in Union County.[1] Exits 136 and 137 are for Cranford Township and Route 28. Exit 138 is in Kenilworth for County Route 509. Exits 139A and 139B are northbound exits only for a local road (Chestnut Street) and U.S. Route 22. Exit 140 and 140A are for U.S. Route 22 and NJ Route 82. Exit 141 is for Vauxhall Road and Exit 142 is for Interstate 78.[1] The 143s are for Lyons Avenue, Exit 144 is for Irvington and 145 is for Interstate 280. Exit 147 is for Renshaw Avenue in East Orange, and Exit 148 is for Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield. Exits 149, 150, and 151 are for Essex County roads.[1] Exits 153A and 153B are for Route 3 and U.S. Route 46 in Passaic County.

Saddle Brook to NY State Line

As the Parkway leaves Clifton, it heads into Elmwood Park by crossing the Passaic River. Exit 156, which comes before the river, is for U.S. Route 46 and New Jersey Route 20. There is also access to New Jersey Route 21 just south of the interchange. Cedar Lawn Cemetery is also located northbound along 20 from Exit 156. As the Parkway continues to the northeast, it interchanges with Route 46 again in Garfield. Riverside Cemetery is accessible off Exit 157 by going east along 46. At Exit 159, the Parkway interchanges with Interstate 80 in Saddle Brook. Going southbound, there is also access to Bergen County Route 67 (Midland Avenue). The Bergen Toll Plaza is next, before crossing over Saddle River County Park.

Exit 160 comes next, as the Parkway enters Paramus and interchanges with West Passaic Street, which heads to New Jersey Route 208. Not far afterwards, at Exit 161 is New Jersey Route 4. Garden State Plaza is visible from the Parkway and is off Exit 161. Exit 163 is for New Jersey Route 17 in Paramus, which heads north to Rockland County. The Parkway goes between Paramus Park Mall and Bergen Regional Medical Center as it heads north. Just after, Exit 165 intersects for Bergen County Route 80 (Oradell Avenue and East Ridgewood Avenue) in Paramus. The Parkway turns to the northwest and heads into the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza going northbound. There is a plaza southbound along the Parkway as well as Exit 166 for Bergen County Route 110 (Linwood Avenue).

As the Parkway inches closer and closer to New York, Exit 168 comes along, interchanging for County Route 502, which heads towards Ho-Ho-Kus and Alpine. 3 miles (4.8 km) later, at Exit 171, the Parkway interchanges with Glen Road, which terminates soon after at Chestnut Ridge Road. The Parkway's Montvale Service Area comes at milepost 171 after Exit 172 which is for Bergen County Route 94. There is also access to CR 94 from the Montvale Service Area's service road. At 172.4 miles (277.5 km), the Parkway crosses the state line and enters New York.[1]

Parkway Extension

The Parkway becomes the Parkway Extension and gains the designation of New York State Reference Route 982L. The road heads to the northeast and interchanges with Schoolhouse Road (Rockland CR 41) at 172.71 miles (277.95 km). As the Parkway Extension continues northeastward, it interchanges for Rockland CR 35 in Nanuet and comes to an end at a jughandle for the New York State Thruway northbound at Exit 14A, with exit from the northbound Extension also possible onto New York State Highway 59.

Spur routes

Two short spurs are given numbers by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Route 444R is the connector at Exit 117 (in Hazlet) to Route 35 at the north end of Route 36 in Keyport. Route 444S is the connector at Exit 105 to the south end of Route 36 at Hope Road (CR 51) near Eatontown.

History

The old alignment at the Beesley's Point Bridge heading southbound. Notice the white center line (instead of yellow).
The old alignment where it meets U.S. Route 9

The Parkway was originally designated as the Route 4 Parkway when it was started in 1947 in Union County, but, due to lack of funds, only 11 miles (18 km) were completed by 1950. The solution was for the state to establish the New Jersey Highway Authority in 1952 to oversee construction and operation as a self-liquidating toll road.[5] Much of the original section, between exits 129 and 140, was long administered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and has always been untolled. The segment can be distinguished by the stone facing on the overpasses.

The Parkway was constructed between 1946 and 1957 to connect suburban northern New Jersey with resort areas along the Atlantic coast and to alleviate traffic on traditional north-south routes running through each town center, such as U.S. 1, U.S. 9, and Route 35. Unofficially, it has two sections: the "metropolitan section" north of the Raritan River and the "shore section" between the Raritan River and Cape May. Only 18 miles (29 km) had been constructed by 1950, but taking a cue from the successful New York State Thruway, on April 14, 1952, the New Jersey Legislature created the New Jersey Highway Authority, empowered to construct, operate, and maintain a self-sufficient toll parkway from Paramus to Cape May.

The landscape architect and engineer in charge of the newly-named "Garden State Parkway" was Gilmore David Clarke, of the architectural firm of Parsons, Brinkerhof, Hall and MacDonald,[5] who had worked with Robert Moses on the parkway systems around New York City. Clarke's design prototypes for the Parkway combined the example of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a model of efficiency with parallels in the German Autobahn routes of the 1930s, with the Merritt Parkway model that stressed a planted "green belt" for beauty. Both design models featured wide planted medians to prevent head-on collisions and mask the glare of on-coming headlights. The Parkway, especially the "shore section", was designed to have a natural feel. Many trees were planted, and the only signs were those for exits--there were no distracting billboards. Most of the signs were constructed from wood, or a dark-brown metal, instead of the chrome bars used in the "metropolitan section". The guardrails were also made from wood and dark metal. Most early overpasses were stone, but then changed to concrete, with green rails and retro etchings, popular around the 50s and 60s. These are now in decay and being replaced by sleek, new bridges.

The Parkway was designed to gently curve throughout its length, so that drivers would remain alert and not fall asleep at the wheel.

Most of the metropolitan section is like any expressway built in the 1950s through heavily populated areas. The shore section parallels U.S. Route 9 and runs through unspoiled wilderness in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. In Cape May County, the Parkway has three traffic lights (at exits 8, 10, and 11 respectively), but these will be eliminated in the future, with construction of an overpass at Exit 10 in Cape May Court House and Stone Harbor scheduled to begin in 2009.

The Parkway had an old alignment before the Great Egg Harbor Bridge was completed. It was detoured onto U.S. Route 9 and over the Beesley's Point Bridge. This old alignment still exists today and is slowly being consumed by nature.

The Garden State Parkway was off limits to motorcycles, until Malcolm Forbes pushed successfully for legislation to allow them.[6]

On July 9, 2003, Governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey's plan to merge the operating organizations of the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike into one agency was completed.[7]

Literature from the time of the Parkway's construction indicates that the Parkway would become toll-free once bonds used for its construction were paid off. However, additional construction projects, plus the expectation that the Parkway will pay for its own maintenance and policing (and the massive E-ZPass project) make it unlikely it will become toll-free in the foreseeable future.

Later construction

On May 1, 1993, a travel center was opened at the Montvale Service Area, replacing one that burned to the ground in 1991.[8] In Waretown, a $16.4 million project was completed for new bridges at exit 69. The construction was completed in March of 2007. Along with the new interchange came two new toll plazas. The Parkway was widened at the location it goes under County Route 532.[9] In 2003, the Lakewood section received a brand-new northbound entrance and southbound exit, Exit 89. In order to expand the Parkway for the interchange, the Cedar Bridge Road bridge had to be torn down and rebuilt. The whole project was completed in November 2003 and cost about $16.23 million.[10] The same company who did the Exits 69 and 89 construction had also done work on Exit 100, 20 years before the Exit 69 construction. That project included demolishing all then-current bridges and building new ones along the newly-rerouted Route 66 and Route 33. The project in Tinton Falls cost $21.67 million to complete.[11]

Usage

Typical entrance sign for the Parkway

The speed limit on the Parkway is 65 mph (102 km/h) with the following exceptions: 55 mph (90 km/h) between Mileposts 123.5 and 163.3, 55 mph (89 km/h) between Mileposts 80.0 and 100.0, 50 mph (80 km/h) between Mileposts 8.0 and 11.5, and 45 mph (70 km/h) between Mileposts 27 and Milepost 29, approaching and traversing the Great Egg Harbor Bridge, and between Milepost 126.7 and 127.7, approaching and traversing the Driscoll Bridge.

Commercial trucks with a registered weight of over 7,000 pounds (3.18 tons) are not allowed to use the northern parts of the Parkway. All trucks must exit at Exit 105, just past the Asbury Park Toll Plaza. From Tinton Falls to the southern end of the Parkway at Cape May, trucks are allowed, but must pay additional tolls. Buses are allowed for the entire length of the Parkway.[12] The "truck" ban includes all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (the vehicle's maximum fully-loaded weight including fuel, passengers and cargo) over 7000 pounds, which encompasses dozens of large passenger vehicles, such as the Chevy Suburban, which can weigh in at 8,500 pounds, though in practice police do not ticket such vehicles.[13]

Toll collection

Garden State Parkway token, invalidated January 1, 2009

Whereas the New Jersey Turnpike uses a system of long-distance tickets, obtained once by a motorist upon entering and surrendered upon exiting at toll gates (a "closed" system), the Garden State Parkway uses no tickets but collects tolls at toll plazas at semi-regular intervals along its length and at certain exits (an "open" system). The standard car toll is 50 cents on the main road at two-way toll plazas and $1.00 at one-way toll plazas. Some individual exits require a toll of either 35 cents, 50 cents, or $1.00. The Parkway has implemented the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system, with the first plaza opening in December 1999, and the entire system completed September 19, 2000.[14] Parkway tokens continued to be available until January 1, 2002,[15] and were invalidated effective January 1, 2009.[16] All customers using exact-change lanes will now be required to pay with coins only in all toll baskets.

Tokens originally cost $10 for a roll of 40 tokens (the toll, when tokens were introduced, was 25 cents), but when the toll was increased to 35 cents, rolls were 30 tokens for $10. Before invalidating the tokens, the NJHA gave several months' warning and gave motorists the opportunity to redeem tokens. Tokens were originally brass, but were changed to a bimetallic composition, with an outer silver-colored ring and a brass core. There were also larger bus tokens that existed in each composition, primarily for the use of Atlantic City-bound buses. These were sold in rolls of 20 for $20.

Historic picture of a Garden State Parkway toll booth

To reduce congestion, some toll plazas on the roadway were converted into one-way plazas between 2004 and 2007, dubbed "one-way tolling".[17] Under this program, a $1.00 toll (70 cents or two tokens when first implemented from 2004 to 2007) is collected in one direction, and the other direction is toll-free. As of March 10, 2007, the Cape May (in Upper Township), Great Egg (in Somers Point), New Gretna (in Bass River Township), Barnegat (in Barnegat Township), Asbury Park (in Tinton Falls), Raritan (in Sayreville), Union (in Hillside Township), Essex (in Bloomfield Township), and Bergen (in Saddle Brook Township) Plazas had been converted to one-way toll plazas.

Beginning on November 19, 2001, E-Z Pass customers were charged the approximate token rate, that is 33 cents (peak travel) or 30 cents (off-peak travel), instead of 35 cents.[15] Due to tremendous cost overruns in implementing the E-ZPass system on New Jersey's toll highways, the discount was eliminated the next year.[18] In addition, NJHA E-ZPass customers were charged a $1 per month account fee into the statement,[18] causing many customers to turn in their NJHA E-ZPass transponders in favor of a transponder from an out-of-state authority which did not charge a monthly fee.

Northbound Cape May mainline toll plaza, with Express E-ZPass lanes.

Most toll plazas have dedicated lanes of three varieties: E-ZPass only (at some in addition to Express E-ZPass), Exact Change (coins are deposited in a toll basket which mechanically counts the deposit), or Cash Receipts / E-ZPass (manned lanes at which change is available). The manned lanes will also accept E-ZPass, the exact change lanes will not.

Tolls at entrances or exits may not have all three varieties, depending upon the number of lanes available. The location of similarly-marked lanes is not identical at each plaza. To assist drivers in seeking the proper lanes, the lanes are numbered both on the booth and on the pavement leading up to them. Some lanes leading up to plazas are dedicated for E-ZPass holders only.

Signs on many of the toll baskets warn against throwing paper currency into them, which jams them.

On January 8, 2008, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine proposed increases of fifty percent in tolls on the Parkway and Turnpike effective in 2010, to be followed by similar fifty percent increases every four years through 2022. Each time tolls increased, there would be an additional increase for inflation since the last toll increase (for the first, since 2006). This increase in tolls, which would take place on all three of New Jersey's toll roads, would, according to Corzine, help pay the state's debt. The roads would be maintained by a nonprofit "public benefit corporation" which would pay back bonds to the state. Without considering inflation, the proposal would have increased the standard 35-cent toll on the Garden State Parkway to approximately $1.80 by 2022, with tolls for the entire length of the northbound Garden State Parkway rising from $4.55 to $30.10 in 2022.[19] It was considered possible that commuters will receive discounts from the higher toll rates.[20] However, the proposal was not enacted due to fierce opposition from the state of New Jersey. On September 5, 2008, a proposal to increase Parkway tolls substantially was reported. Starting on December 1, 2008, the new toll rates took effect on the Garden State Parkway, with the $.25 tolls increased to $.35, the $.35 tolls increased to $.50 and the $.70 tolls increased to $1.00.[21]

Toll Plazas

Sign for Pascack Valley Toll Plaza
  • MilePost 166.1 - Pascack Valley (formerly Hillsdale, long a misnomer as it is actually located in Washington Township) - Both Directions / Express E-ZPass (2 lanes)
  • MP 160.5 - Bergen - Northbound Only
  • MP 150.7 - Essex - Southbound Only
  • MP 142.7 - Union - Northbound Only
  • MP 125.4 - Raritan - Southbound Only / Express E-ZPass (5 lanes)
  • MP 104.0 - Asbury Park - Northbound Only / Express E-ZPass (3 lanes)
  • MP 84.7 - Toms River - Both Directions / Express E-ZPass (2 lanes)
  • MP 68.9 - Barnegat - Southbound Only / (One-Way and Express E-ZPass with Parkway Widening)
  • MP 53.5 - New Gretna - Northbound Only
  • MP 28.8 - Great Egg - Southbound Only
  • MP 19.4 - Cape May - Northbound Only / Express E-ZPass (2 lanes)
Sign with flashing lights for Cape May Toll Plaza

The Cape May, Toms River, Asbury Park, Raritan, and Pascack Valley plazas also feature Express E-ZPass lanes, a form of open road tolling that allows motorists with E-ZPass to maintain highway speeds of up to 65 mph (100 km/h) through the toll plaza. Officials have already converted the Barnegat (in Barnegat Township) Toll Plaza to one-way tolling and will build it with Express E-ZPass for southbound drivers, which began on March 10, 2007.[17]

Future developments

Template:Future road

  • In Cape May County, at Exits 9, 10, and 11, new interchanges are to be constructed, eliminating the traffic lights currently serving the interchanges. The timetable for starting the project puts it at about 2010.
  • A proposed interchange at the Absecon Service Station near mile marker 41.7 in Galloway Twp would be constructed. An alternative would be to make Exit 44 or Exit 40 into full interchanges. Plans have yet to be created.
  • In May 2005, then Governor Codey announced a widening of the Parkway between Exit 63 in Stafford Township to Exit 80 in the Boro of South Toms River. The new Parkway setup would have 3 lanes in each direction as opposed to the current 2. However, the Turnpike Authority is now planning to widen the parkway from Exit 80 all the way south to Exit 30 in the City of Somers Point.
  • There are new bridges that have been proposed to be constructed across the Mullica River from the City of Port Republic to Bass River Township. No dates have been set for construction.[22]
  • Exit 67 received a newly constructed southbound entrance ramp, and a northbound exit ramp. On March 27th, 2008, it was revealed that the new ramps would not have toll gates. Construction began in the summer of 2008 and opened on May 20, 2009.[23]
  • Exit 69 (in Ocean Twp) was completely reconstructed. The old ramps were demolished, and a partial cloverleaf was constructed in its place. It now features a northbound entrance ramp, and a southbound exit ramp. Toll gates were constructed at the northbound entrance and southbound exit ramp. This was finished in March 2007.
  • The overpass at Exit 74 in Lacey Township is in the process of being rebuilt after a tractor-trailer carrying a portable car crusher struck and damaged the bridge on June 4, 2008. Currently the main span has been reduced from two lanes of traffic in each direction, to one lane each way, while a temporary bridge is being built parallel to the overpass to ease stress on the damaged bridge, and allow all lanes of traffic to flow evenly.
  • A new diamond interchange, Exit 77 (in Berkeley Township) was constructed in 2006. Toll gates exist at the northbound entrance ramp, and the southbound exit ramp. To avoid destroying part of the Double Trouble State Park, the southbound interchange was constructed approximately ½ mile north of the northbound interchange.
  • Exit 83 (in Toms River Twp) will see improvements, notably a southbound exit ramp and all other improvements to make it a full interchange.[24]
  • Exit 88 (in Lakewood Twp) will see construction around 2009 or 2010 to bring it to full interchange status.
  • In November 2003, Exit 89 (in Lakewood Twp) was opened to traffic. Toll gates were constructed at both ramps.
  • Exit 91 (in Brick Twp) will also be upgraded to a full interchange starting sometime around 2009 or 2010.[25][22]
  • At Exit 98 in Wall Township, the overpasses carrying NJ 138 and I-195 over the Parkway have been replaced with newly constructed ones. This project was finished in late 2006. However, this project did not improve 195's Exit 35 for NJ 34. Still to come will be a widening of the Parkway mainline below the new bridges to address the narrowing of the lanes from 4 to 3. It is unclear for how long this 4 lane widening will last for and how it will tie into the southbound entrance ramp from Route 34.[22]
  • The Driscoll Bridge received a new southbound parallel span just west of the original span. This new southbound bridge boasts seven southbound lanes and emergency shoulders (currently the seventh lane is used as a northbound lane during rehab of the old spans). By 2010, a new northbound span will be constructed, consisting of eight northbound lanes and emergency shoulders.[25] On May 20, 2009, the Driscoll Bridge project was completed.[26]
  • Exit 131A in Woodbridge Township will have newly built ramps.
  • Exit 142 (in Union Twp and Hillside Twp) will be upgraded with new ramps that will supply missing movements between the Parkway and I-78 since I-278 was cancelled between US 1-9 in Linden and the interchange for NJ 24/I-78. The entire project will be completed by January 2012.[22]
  • New overpasses and ramps were built at Exit 145 in the City of East Orange to connect to I-280. New EZ-Pass lanes will be built at the interchange toll gate.[27][22]

Exit list

Tolls are $0.35 or $0.50 unless otherwise noted for entrance/exit ramps.

County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
Cape May Lower Twp 0.00 0 US 9 / Route 109 – Cape May Begin/end Parkway; Exit number made official with signage in 2009.
Middle Twp 3.9 4 Route 47 – Wildwood Toll plaza for northbound exit, southbound entrance directions only; other directions are toll-free
6.54 6 Route 147 – North Wildwood Northbound entrance, southbound exit
8.40 9
To US 9 (Shellbay Ave.) – Cape May Court House
at-grade intersection
9.90 10 CR 657 (Stone Harbor Blvd) – Cape May Court House, Stone Harbor at-grade intersection
11.04 11 US 9 / CR 609Cape May County Park & Zoo at-grade intersection
13.60 13 CR 601 Avalon Blvd – Avalon, Swainton
Dennis Twp 17.50 17 CR 625 Sea Isle Blvd – Sea Isle City Northbound entrance, southbound exit
Upper Twp 19.38 Cape May Toll Plaza (Northbound only) with 2 lanes of Express E-ZPass - Cars $1.00
20.25 20 US 9 / Route 50 – Seaville, Tuckahoe Northbound exit, southbound entrance
25.34 25
CR 623 (Roosevelt Blvd) to US 9 – Ocean City, Marmora
Begin/end US 9 detour concurrency with Parkway
(temporary measure from closure of Beesley's Point Bridge)
Atlantic City of Somers Point 28.78 Great Egg Toll Plaza (Southbound only) - Cars $1.00
28.90 29 US 9 Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Begin/end US 9 detour concurrency with Parkway
(temporary measure from closure of Beesley's Point Bridge)
30.00 30
To Route 52 – Somers Point
(TOLL $1) Toll plaza at exit; northbound entrance, southbound exit
Egg Harbor Twp 35.82 36 CR 563 / US 40 / US 322 – Northfield, Pleasantville, Atlantic City
36.59 37 CR 608 Northbound entrance, southbound exit
37.23 38 A.C. Expressway
Galloway Twp 40.04 40 US 30 – Absecon Northbound entrance, southbound exit
41.5 42 CR 561 – Pomona, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Division Unsigned entrance and exit through Atlantic City Service Area
43.98 44 CR 575Smithville, Pomona, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Northbound entrance, southbound exit
City of Port Republic 48.29 48 US 9 – Port Republic Northbound entrance, southbound exit; begin/end US 9 concurrency with Parkway
Burlington Bass River Twp 50.67 50 US 9 – Bass River Township Northbound exit, southbound entrance; begin/end US 9 concurrency with Parkway
52.70 52 East Greenbush Road – New Gretna Northbound entrance, southbound exit
53.54 New Gretna Toll Plaza (Northbound only) - Cars $1.00
Ocean Little Egg Harbor Twp 58.69 58
CR 539 to I-195 – Tuckerton, Trenton
Stafford Twp 64.11 63 Route 72 – Manahawkin, Long Beach Island, Ship Bottom
Barnegat Twp 67.81 67 CR 554 (West Bay Ave) – Barnegat Northbound entrance, southbound exit
68.61 Barnegat Toll Plaza (Southbound only) - Express E-Z Pass coming soon - Cars $1.00
Ocean Twp 70.45 69 Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). Toll plaza at exit
Lacey Twp 75.34 74 CR 614 (Lacey Rd) – Forked River, Waretown Toll plaza at exit
Berkeley Township 77.40 77 CR 618 (Kenswick Road) – Beachwood, Whiting, Bayville Toll plaza at exit
Borough of South Toms River 80.85 80 CR 530 / US 9 – South Toms River Begin/end US 9 concurrency with Parkway
Toms River Twp 81.85 81 CR 549 – Toms River
82.35 82 Route 37 – Seaside Heights, Lakehurst Full cloverleaf interchange
84.10 83 US 9 Begin/end US 9 concurrency with Parkway
84.72 Toms River Toll Plaza (Both Directions) with 2 lanes of Express E-ZPass - Cars $0.50
Lakewood Twp 89.36 88 Route 70 – Lakehurst, Brielle Northbound entrance, southbound exit; toll plaza at exit
90.18 89 CR 528 – Lakewood Northbound entrance, southbound exit; toll plaza at exit
Brick Twp 91.1 90 CR 549 – Brick Northbound exit, southbound entrance
92.62 91 CR 549 (Burnt Tavern Road) Northbound entrance, southbound exit; toll plaza at exit
Monmouth Wall Twp 98.23 98 I-195 / Route 138 / Route 34 – Belmar, Wall, Trenton Cloverleaf interchange with additional ramps; to access Parkway southbound from I-195, motorists must use NJ 34 southbound; to access I-195 from Parkway southbound, motorists must use NJ 34 northbound; toll plaza at exit
Borough of Tinton Falls 101.24 & 101.60 100 Route 66 / Route 33 – Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, Freehold Cloverleaf interchange with additional ramps; no direct access from NJ 33 westbound to Parkway southbound or from Parkway southbound to NJ 66 eastbound
103.15 102 Asbury Ave – Neptune Township, Asbury Park Northbound entrance, southbound exit
103.96 Asbury Park Toll Plaza (Northbound only) with 3 lanes of Express E-ZPass - Cars $1.00
104.2 Parkway splits into express and local roadways/merges
106.12, 106.18, 106.39 105 Route 18 / Route 36 / Route 35 – Eatontown, Long Branch (TOLL $1) Toll plaza for northbound entrance only; Express Lane accessible; all trucks must exit here northbound, trucks may enter here southbound
Middletown Twp 110.14 109 CR 520 – Lincroft, Red Bank Toll plaza at exit
Middletown Twp / Holmdel Twp 113.88 114 CR 52 – Holmdel, Middletown Toll plaza at exit
Holmdel Twp 115.85 116 PNC Bank Arts Center
~117 Crossover ramps between express and local lanes
Hazlet Twp 118.50 117 Route 35 / Route 36 – Keyport, Hazlet Toll plaza at exit (no toll for traffic from Parkway northbound); Express Lane accessible
Hazlet Twp / Aberdeen Twp 118.79 117A CR 3 (Lloyd Road) – Aberdeen Soutbound exit and entrance; toll plaza at exit
Middlesex Old Bridge Twp 121.13 120 CR 689 – Laurence Harbor, Matawan, Cheesequake State Park
Boro of Sayreville 124.64 123
US 9 south – Old Bridge, Sayreville
Northbound entrance, southbound exit
124.99 124 CR 670 – Sayreville, South Amboy Northbound entrance, southbound exit
125.28 North end of local/express split
125.68 Raritan Toll Plaza (Southbound only) with 5 lanes of Express E-ZPass - Cars $1.00
126.36 125 Route 35 / US 9 – Sayreville, South Amboy Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Woodbridge Twp 128.0 127
Route 440 to I-287Module:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecatedOuterbridge Crossing, Staten Island
Signed as exit 129 southbound; southbound exit to NJ 440 north is via New Brunswick Avenue
129
US 9 south – South Amboy
Northbound entrance, southbound exit
129 New Brunswick Avenue – Fords, Perth Amboy Signed as exit 127 northbound
129
US 9 north / Route 184 – Woodbridge
Signed as exit 127 northbound
129
CR 501 west – Fords
Northbound entrance, southbound exit
129.50 129 N.J. Turnpike / I-95 – Delaware Memorial Bridge, Trenton, George Washington Bridge, New York
130.63 130 US 1 – Trenton, Newark Northbound entrance, southbound exit
131.33 131A Metropark
131.83 131B CR 657 – Metropark Northbound exit, southbound entrance
131.97 131 Route 27 – Iselin, Rahway, Metuchen
Union Clark Twp 136.22 135 Clark-Westfield Ave - Clark, Westfield
Cranford Twp 137.59 136 CR 607 – Linden, Roselle, Winfield
138.74 137 Route 28 – Roselle Park, Elizabeth, Cranford
Boro of Kenilworth 140.34 138 CR 509 – Kenilworth, Roselle Park, Elizabeth
Union Twp 141.10 139A Chestnut Street Northbound exit and entrance
139B Route 82 – Morristown, Union Signed as exit 140 southbound
141.70 140A
US 22 / Route 82 east – Holland Tunnel, Elizabeth, Newark International Airport, Somerville
Signed as exit 140 northbound
142.10 141 CR 630 (Vauxhall Road) – Union Northbound entrance, southbound exit
Hillside Twp 142.66 Union Toll Plaza (Northbound only) - Cars $1.00
142.80 142
I-78 to N.J. Turnpike – Springfield, Newark International Airport
(TOLL $1) Toll station at northbound exit & northbound entrance ($1, effectively part of Union Toll plaza)
143.00 142A North Union Ave − Hillside, Maplewood Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Essex Irvington Twp 144.0 143 Springfield Avenue, Lyons Avenue – Hillside, Maplewood
City of Newark 145.98 144A 14th Avenue − Irvington Toll plaza at exit
146.12 144 CR 510 (South Orange Avenue)
City of East Orange 146.93, 146.99 & 147.15 145 I-280 – Newark, Harrison Toll plaza at northbound exit and southbound entrance
148.44 147 Renshaw Avenue Northbound entrance, southbound exit
Bloomfield Twp 149.2 148 Bloomfield Avenue Toll plaza at northbound exit and southbound entrance
149.17 149 Belleville Avenue - Bloomfield, Belleville Northbound entrance, southbound exit
150.66 Essex Toll Plaza (Southbound only) - Cars $1.00
151.1 150 CR 651 (Hoover Avenue) Northbound exit, southbound entrance
152.45 151 Watchung Avenue – Nutley, Montclair Toll plaza at northbound entrance and southbound exit
Passaic City of Clifton 154.06, 154.18, 154.45 153 Route 3New York City, Passaic, Little Falls Toll plaza at northbound entrance from 3-WB and southbound exit to 3-EB - No connections from 3-EB to Parkway North or Parkway South to 3-WB (use Route 46/Exit 154 instead).
155.91 154 US 46 – Clifton Toll plaza at exit southbound
~156.4 155P
Route 19 to I-80 – Paterson
Northbound exit, southbound entrance; use this exit for I-80 westbound
156.68 155 Hazel Street Northbound exit, southbound entrance
158.19 156 River Drive Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Bergen Borough of Elmwood Park 158.87 157 US 46 / Route 20 – Garfield
Saddle Brook Twp 160, 160.23, 160.35 159 I-80 – Paterson, George Washington Bridge (TOLL $1) Toll plaza at northbound exit and southbound entrance; no direct access from Parkway northbound to I-80 westbound
160.46 Bergen Toll Plaza (Northbound only) - Cars $1.00
Borough of Paramus 161.53 160
To Route 208 (Paramus Road) – Fair Lawn, Hackensack
Northbound exit, southbound entrance
161.88 161 Route 4 – Teaneck, George Washington Bridge, Fort Lee Northbound exit, southbound entrance
163.06, 163.15 & 163.29 163
Route 17 to Route 4 - George Washington Bridge, Meadowlands Sports Complex, Mahwah
Northbound to northbound, southbound to southbound movements only
164.94 165 East Ridgewood Avenue – Ridgewood, Oradell Toll plaza at northbound exit and southbound entrance
165.93 166 Linwood Avenue, Highland Avenue, Pascack Rd – Washington Twp, Westwood Northbound entrance, southbound exit
Washington Township 166.25 Pascack Valley Toll Plaza (Both Directions) with 2 lanes of Express E-Z Pass - Cars $0.50
167.46 168 CR 502 – Ho-Ho-Kus, Westwood, Alpine, Allendale Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Borough of Woodcliff Lake 170.15 171 Glen Road – Saddle River Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Borough of Montvale 171.52 172 CR 2 – Upper Saddle River Northbound exit, southbound entrance. Missing movements can be completed via a service road in the Montvale service area.[28]
New Jersey/New York State Line (end of Parkway, start of Parkway Extension)
Rockland Village of Chestnut Ridge 172.71
(2.09)
CR 41 (Schoolhouse Road) – Chestnut Ridge Northbound entrance, southbound exit
174.80
(0.00)
I-87 / I-287 / New York Thruway – New York City, Albany Begin/end Parkway Extension
CR 35 – Nanuet Exit off ramp from Parkway Extension northbound to Thruway south/eastbound; no entrance

Service Areas

  • Montvale (Mile Post 171)
  • Brookdale (Northbound & Southbound) (Mile Post 153.3)
  • Vaux Hall (Northbound only) (Mile Post 142)
  • Cheesequake (Mile Post 123)
  • Monmouth (Mile Post 100)
  • Forked River (Mile Post 76)
  • Atlantic City (Mile Post 41.4)
  • Ocean View (Mile Post 18.3)

All service areas are located in the center median, unless otherwise noted.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Template:PDFlink
  2. ^ Template:PDFlink
  3. ^ Samuel, Peter (January 6, 2003). "15-lane bridge for Garden State Parkway". Tollroads News. Retrieved September 23, 2008. "The Garden State Parkway is America's busiest single tollroad in terms of toll transaction numbers - 609m in 2001 or 1.67m/day average."
  4. ^ Samuel, Peter (January 29, 2008). "USA Today reports dramatically more expensive tolls - lousy data". Tollroads News. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
  5. ^ a b Laurie, Maxine N. (2004–2005). Encyclopedia of New Jersey. Rutgers University Press. p. 305. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: date format (link)
  6. ^ Pierson, Melissa Holbrook (1998). The perfect vehicle: what it is about motorcycles. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 82. ISBN 0393318095.
  7. ^ "Governor McGreevey Announces Planned Improvements from Turnpike Authority Consolidation". New Jersey Turnpike Authority. July 10, 2003.
  8. ^ TRAVEL CENTER OPENS ON PARKWAY
  9. ^ Garden State Parkway Interchange 69
  10. ^ Garden State Parkway Interchange 89
  11. ^ Garden State Parkway Interchange 100
  12. ^ GARDEN STATE PARKWAY REGULATIONS, State of New Jersey, dated October 23, 1987. Accessed October 17, 2007. "19:8-1.9(b)15: All vehicles except cars, campers, omnibuses, and vehicles entitled to toll-free passage under N.J.A.C. 19:8-3.2 (Toll-free passage) are prohibited from the Parkway north of Interchange 105."
  13. ^ Biederman, Marcia. " MOTORING; Behind the Beauty of the Parkways Is a Maze of Rules", the New York Times, October 7, 2007. Accessed October 17, 2007. "In New Jersey, the Garden State Parkway has different rules depending on where you are. There are no truck restrictions south of Exit 105 because trucks need to use the parkway to service the commercial needs of the area. North of the exit, vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings (including passengers and cargo) more than 7,000 pounds are banned.... He said officers who patrolled the area had presented to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority a list of 70 passenger vehicles that exceed the weight limit, hoping the agency would update the rules. He said most troopers applied the rules mainly to commercial vehicles."
  14. ^ "E-ZPass open from N.Y. State to Cape May" (Press release). New Jersey Highway Authority. September 19, 2000.
  15. ^ a b "Parkway to Discontinue Token Sales" (Press release). New Jersey Highway Authority. December 26, 2001.
  16. ^ Strauss, Robert (July 20, 2008). "Soon, Token Non Grata on the Garden State". The New York Times.
  17. ^ a b One-Way Tolling and Express E-ZPass Comes to the Garden State Parkway accessed June 5, 2006
  18. ^ a b "E-ZPass: A plan that works for NJ" (PDF). July 11, 2002. pp. 9–10.
  19. ^ McCoy, Craig R. (January 9, 2008). "Corzine calls for 50% toll increase". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  20. ^ Nussbaum, Paul (January 11, 2008). "Corzine: Toll-hike breaks are likely". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  21. ^ Peter Samuel (2008-09-05). "Threatened by debt default New Jersey Turnpike proposes big toll increases". TOLLROADSnews. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
  22. ^ a b c d e NJTPA Online Transportation Information System -- Project Detail
  23. ^ Barnegat's interchange to open Wednesday May 20, 2009
  24. ^ Template:PDFlink accessed June 18, 2007
  25. ^ a b Template:PDFlink
  26. ^ Driscoll Bridge opening May 20, 2009
  27. ^ "NJDOT to begin reconstruction of Route I-280/Garden State Parkway Interchange 145" (Press release). New Jersey Department of Transportation. September 15, 2006. Retrieved June 14, 2007.
  28. ^ Cichowski, John (December 12, 2004). "Show New Yorkers how to get to work". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2007-03-26.

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