Garden State Parkway Project Update

COURT HOUSE – Many may find some unrecognizable or missing exit ramps and traffic patterns on the Garden State Parkway.
Here is what is going on with all the improvements and changes that were not in evidence last year, provided by Thomas Feeney of New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Interchange Zero
The work will be completed by Memorial Day Weekend. Greatest changes will be northbound access to the parkway from Route 109, and an emergency vehicle only U-turn. The left-hand turn onto Ocean Drive will remain as will left turn toward Cape May at the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Exits 4A and 4B
According to Feeney, “There is no work being done at exits 4A and 4B. There were new guide signs installed on the Parkway and Turnpike as part of the capital improvement program. The old exit designations at 4A and 4B did not comply with current federal standards. When the new guide signs were installed at exit 4, the southbound exit designations were changed to bring them into compliance – 4A was changed to 4B and 4B was changed to 4A.”
Exits 9, 10 and 11
Feeney updated the status of these exits as follows: “At exits 9, 10 and 11, the final paving and striping and the installation of raised pavement markers and rumble strips will be completed in the spring. The speed limit is going to be raised to 65 mph after that work is done. The temperature has to be at least 60 degrees over the course of several days before the final layer of pavement can be installed. We expect the work to be done in late April or May of this year.”
Great Egg Harbor Bridge
A new southbound span will be built to the west of the existing southbound span over Great Egg Harbor and Drag Channel. The existing southbound span will be demolished.
The former Beesley’s Point Bridge on Route 9 is being demolished as part of this project.
Feeney added “The new southbound Great Egg span will be completed this year. At that time, a contract will be awarded to rehabilitate the existing northbound span. Northbound traffic will be moved onto the existing southbound span for two years. When the rehab of the northbound span is complete, northbound traffic will shift back onto it and the existing southbound span will be torn down. There is no scheduled completion date for that yet, but it’s likely to be in late 2018.”
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.