Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a limited-access highway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. A toll road, its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State". The parkway's official, but unsigned, designation is Route 444. At its north end, the road becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, a component of the New York State Thruway system that connects to the Thruway mainline in Ramapo. The parkway is the longest highway in the state at approximately, and, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, was the busiest toll road in the United States in 2006. The highway has a posted speed limit of for most of its length, and is primarily for passenger vehicle use; trucks weighing over are prohibited north of exit 105.
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. Route 1, US 9, and Route 35. During planning, the road was to be a toll-free highway designated as the Route 4 Parkway. Most of the highway north of the Raritan River is like any other expressway built in the 1950s through heavily populated areas, while south of the river, the road mostly runs through unspoiled wilderness in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The highway has seen many improvements over the years, including the addition and reconstruction of interchanges, bridge replacements, widening of the roadway, and removal of at-grade intersections. Previously, the road had been maintained by an agency known as the New Jersey Highway Authority, however in 2003, the agency merged with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which now maintains the parkway along with the New Jersey Turnpike.
The parkway uses an open system of toll collection with flat-fee tolls collected at 11 toll plazas along the roadway, as well as at several entrances and exits. Tolls can be paid using cash or via the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system. Along the route are 11 service areas, providing food and fuel to travelers. Historically, the road had ten picnic areas along its length, but only one remains open today.
Route description
The Garden State Parkway begins at Route 109 in Cape May County. It runs north along the Jersey Shore, crossing the Great Egg Harbor Bay and passing to the west of Atlantic City. The parkway passes through the sparsely populated Pine Barrens until it reaches the township of Toms River in Ocean County. North of Asbury Park, the route splits into a local-express lane configuration, which it maintains through South Amboy. Here, the highway crosses the Raritan River into Woodbridge Township, where it meets the New Jersey Turnpike. North of here, the GSP passes through densely populated communities in Middlesex and Union counties and intersects I-78 near Newark. The parkway eventually passes to the south and east of Paterson and meets I-80 in Saddle Brook. After traversing the suburban northern section of Bergen County, the road enters New York where it becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, continuing north to the New York State Thruway mainline.The number of lanes on the parkway ranges from four in Cape May, Atlantic, and Bergen counties, to 15 on the Driscoll Bridge. Much of the highway runs closely parallel to, or concurrently with US 9. The entire length of the Garden State Parkway carries the unsigned designation of Route 444, and is part of the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.
Cape May and Atlantic counties
The parkway begins at an at-grade intersection with Route 109 in Lower Township, Cape May County. It runs north as a four-lane limited-access highway through the Cape Island Wildlife Management Area, parallel to US 9. After crossing over Jones Creek, the highway enters Middle Township and has an interchange with Route 47, which serves Wildwood to the east and Rio Grande to the west. North of this point, the parkway crosses over the abandoned Wildwood Branch of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, and later has a partial interchange with Route 147, which provides access to North Wildwood located to the east. Crossing into the county seat of Cape May Court House, the median narrows and the road has three interchanges serving the community. After a southbound entrance ramp from US 9, the median widens and the parkway continues north, passing west of the borough of Avalon and Sea Isle City before reaching the Ocean View Service Area in the median.North of the service area, the parkway enters Upper Township and reaches the Cape May Toll Plaza northbound as it runs west of swampland along the Jersey Shore and meets the southern terminus of Route 50. Farther north, the parkway passes the John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly Picnic Area before crossing over the abandoned PRSL Ocean City Branch. Running west of Ocean City, US 9 joins the road before it crosses the Great Egg Harbor Bay on the Great Egg Harbor Bridge. After landing in the Atlantic County community of Somers Point, the southbound roadway has the Great Egg Toll Plaza and immediately north, US 9 leaves the parkway.
Returning to a four-lane arterial, the parkway runs along the western edges of Somers Point, soon crossing over the Patcong Creek into Egg Harbor Township, where it widens to six lanes and has a junction with US 40, US 322 and County Route 563. This is the first of three interchanges with roads that serve Atlantic City, located to the east. The parkway then passes over the abandoned PRSL Newfield Branch before a cloverleaf interchange with the limited-access Atlantic City Expressway. Passing to the east of Atlantic City International Airport and to the west of the Atlantic City Reservoir, the highway enters Galloway Township and passes over NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line before it comes to a partial interchange with US 30. North of this exit, the median is home to the Atlantic Service Area, which also has a barrack of the New Jersey State Police. The parkway then passes east of Stockton University and winds north into the Port Republic Wildlife Management Area. US 9 then merges back onto the parkway, along with the Pine Barrens Byway, and the three routes cross the Mullica River.
Burlington and Ocean counties
Now in Burlington County, US 9 and the Pine Barrens Byway depart in Bass River Township. Continuing northeast, the parkway passes over US 9 with no access before crossing the Bass River and reaching a maintenance yard in the median, followed by the northbound New Gretna Toll Plaza. Crossing northward through Bass River State Forest, the six-lane highway becomes desolate as it enters Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean County. Here, the GSP interchanges with CR 539 before entering Eagleswood Township, where it crosses over Westecunk Creek and passes to the west of Eagles Nest Airport. Afterwards, the parkway enters Stafford Township where it has an interchange with Route 72, providing access to Manahawkin and Long Beach Island. Crossing northeast through the Pine Barrens, the highway heads into Barnegat Township where it has a junction with CR 554 before the southbound roadway has the Barnegat Toll Plaza.Now in Ocean Township, the parkway meets CR 532 and crosses over Oyster Creek before entering Lacey Township, where it crosses the south, middle, and north branches of the Forked River and has the Forked River Service Area in the median. Farther north, the road crosses over Cedar Creek and enters Berkeley Township, where it passes through Double Trouble State Park. Upon entering the borough of South Toms River, the parkway becomes concurrent with US 9 once again at CR 530 before crossing the Toms River and entering the township of the same name. After passing over the abandoned Conrail Barnegat Branch, the road meets CR 527 followed by Route 37, which provides access to Lakehurst, Seaside Heights and Island Beach State Park. The GSP then passes a maintenance yard in the median, and US 9 leaves the highway at a junction with Route 166. North of the Toms River Toll Plaza, the parkway enters Lakewood Township and has an interchange with Route 70, serving Brick Township and Point Pleasant Beach to the east; this interchange also serves CR 528. Crossing through Brick Township, the route interchanges with CR 549 before crossing the South Branch Metedeconk River and passing over Route 88 with no access. It then crosses the North Branch Metedeconk River and widens to eight lanes just north of a second exit for CR 549.
Monmouth and Middlesex counties
In Wall Township, Monmouth County, the parkway crosses the Manasquan River and passes under the Capital to Coast Trail before reaching exit 98 near Allaire State Park. The interchange involves a pair of collector-distributor roads to reach I-195, Route 34 and Route 138. A park and ride is present in the southeastern cloverleaf with Route 138. Passing to the west of Shark River Park, the median contains the Monmouth Service Area, which provides a park and ride for commuters and access to CR 18. The parkway then enters Tinton Falls and has exits for Route 33 and Route 66 before an exit for CR 16, where the road widens to ten lanes and reaches the northbound Asbury Park Toll Plaza.After the toll barrier, the road divides into two express and three local lanes in each direction. Just north of the split is an interchange with Route 18 and Route 36; the connector road from the parkway to the terminus of Route 36 and CR 51 is designated as Route 444S. North of the interchange, the GSP passes over Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Southern Secondary before crossing the Swimming River into Middletown and meeting CR 520. After passing over a military road and rail line for the Naval Weapons Station Earle, the route enters Holmdel Township, where it serves the PNC Bank Arts Center and the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. Passing west of Hazlet, the parkway crosses NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line before reaching an interchange for Route 35, Route 36 and nearby Aberdeen. North of this interchange, the roadways widen into a 3-3-3-3 express-local system and pass over the Matawan Creek, before crossing the North Jersey Coast Line for a second time. The road then crosses northwest through Cheesequake State Park, bending into Middlesex County.
After crossing the Cheesequake Creek near a marina, the road has the Cheesequake Service Area in the median, with access to both the express and local lanes of the highway. Crossing into South Amboy, the parkway has a partial interchange with US 9 and passes over CSAO's Amboy Secondary. After a northbound entrance and southbound exit at CR 670, the lanes, now as a 4-3-3-4 configuration, merge as they cross the abandoned Raritan River Railroad and reach the Raritan Toll Plaza southbound. North of the toll barrier is an exit for Chevalier Avenue; all southbound vehicles exiting here must have an E-ZPass transponder. Paralleling US 9 and Route 35, the parkway becomes 15 lanes as it crosses the Raritan River on the Driscoll Bridge, the widest motor vehicle bridge in the world. On the bridge, the northbound lanes are divided into two roadways; only the eastern roadway has access to exit 127, an interchange for Route 440 and US 9, providing access to the Outerbridge Crossing. Just north of exit 127 in Woodbridge Township, the parkway passes under CSAO's Perth Amboy Running Track and reaches an interchange with the New Jersey Turnpike. Running northwest through Woodbridge Township as a ten-lane roadway, the highway has a junction with US 1 and crosses under CSAO's Port Reading Secondary line as it enters Iselin. Immediately after passing to the east of the Metropark train station and under Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, the GSP has an interchange with Route 27. North of this point, the parkway curves northeast, passing the Colonia South and Colonia North service areas.
Union and Essex counties
Crossing into Union County, the highway passes through dense neighborhoods as a ten-lane roadway. It crosses the Middlesex Reservoir in Clark, where the southbound lanes have access to a maintenance yard. The parkway then passes west of Winfield Township before crossing the Rahway River into Cranford. After passing over CSAO's Lehigh Line and the inactive Rahway Valley Railroad, the parkway crosses NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line and reaches a junction with Route 28. In Kenilworth, the highway meets CR 509 and passes to the east of Galloping Hill Golf Course before entering Union Township, where US 22 and Route 82 cross the parkway near the Union Watersphere. Here, the parkway narrows to eight lanes, and the northbound lanes have access to the Vaux Hall Service Area. After the service area, the road crosses the Elizabeth River and reaches the northbound Union Toll Plaza before an interchange with I-78.Running northeast into Essex County, the parkway reaches Irvington, where it passes through a short tunnel underneath a parking lot for Irvington Bus Terminal, serving NJ Transit buses. North of this point, the parkway gains frontage roads in each direction. The frontage road for the northbound lanes is called Eastern Parkway, and the frontage road for the southbound lanes is called Western Parkway. After an interchange with CR 510, the frontage roads end, and the parkway briefly enters the city of Newark where it bisects Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, the northern end of which is in East Orange. After leaving the cemetery, the highway regains frontage roads which are known as Oraton Parkway. After an interchange with I-280 and CR 508, the GSP loses a lane in each direction and passes under NJ Transit's Morris & Essex Lines near East Orange station before crossing the abandoned Erie Lackawanna Railway. Winding into Bloomfield as a six-lane roadway, the GSP crosses NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line and has an interchange with CR 506 Spur, where the frontage roads end. After passing under Norfolk Southern's Boonton Line and reaching an exit for CR 506, the southbound parkway has the Essex Toll Plaza, and the highway briefly enters Nutley before crossing back into Bloomfield, passing the Brookdale North and Brookdale South service areas.
Passaic and Bergen counties
The parkway then crosses into Passaic County and the city of Clifton, where it reaches an interchange with Route 3. At this point, the space between the northbound and southbound roadways contains the Allwood Park and Ride. After passing under a set of power lines and bisecting a residential area, the route has interchanges with US 46 and Route 19 before passing over NJ Transit's Main Line and turning northeast south of Paterson. After crossing Norfolk Southern's Passaic Spur line and reaching an interchange with Route 20, the parkway crosses the Passaic River and enters Bergen County, where it comes to a second interchange with US 46.The highway then passes over the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway's New Jersey Subdivision line and under NJ Transit's Bergen County Line before reaching an interchange with I-80 and the northbound Bergen Toll Plaza in Saddle Brook. Continuing northeast, the road passes through Saddle River County Park and crosses the Saddle River. After leaving the park, it crosses a pair of interchanges for Route 208 and Route 4 as it enters Paramus near the Westfield Garden State Plaza shopping mall. North of Route 4, the parkway runs closely parallel with Route 17 before interchanging with it. After passing east of the Paramus Park shopping mall, there is a junction with CR 80, which has a park and ride. Just north of an exit for CR 110, the parkway enters Washington Township where the southbound lanes have the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza – the northernmost toll plaza on the highway. The GSP then finally narrows from six to four lanes at the exit for CR 502. Winding through suburban Bergen County, the parkway reaches the Montvale Service Area, the northernmost service area on the road. Immediately north is an exit for CR 94 ; this is the northernmost exit of the Garden State Parkway, which crosses into New York in Montvale. From there, the route becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, bringing access southbound to CR 41 in Rockland County. The connector meets I-87/I-287 in Nanuet, marking the northern end.
History
Proposals and construction
Most of the Garden State Parkway was originally planned in 1946 as a bypass of pre-1953 Route 4, which ran from Cape May to the George Washington Bridge by way of Paterson. Construction on this limited-access highway, known as the Route 4 Parkway, began in 1947 in Union County. However, due to a lack of funds, only of it were completed by 1950. This segment, between exits 129 and 140, can be distinguished by the stone facing on the overpasses. 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 from Cape May to the New York state line.The landscape architect and engineer in charge of the newly named Garden State Parkway was Gilmore David Clarke of the engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, 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 oncoming headlights. The Garden State Parkway 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 on most other highways. The guardrails were also made from wood and dark metal. Most early overpasses were stone, but were later changed to concrete, with green rails and retro etchings, popular around the 1950s and 1960s. The parkway was designed to curve gently throughout its length so that drivers would remain alert and not fall asleep at the wheel.
The final portion of the parkway to open from Paramus to the New York state line near Montvale was originally proposed as part of a northern extension of Route 101, a highway that was intended to run from Kearny to Hackensack. The extension, Route S101, would have continued northward from Hackensack to the state line via Paramus. Route 101 was never built, and only the Paramus–Montvale segment saw any later construction. This segment of the parkway opened in 1957 along with the Garden State Parkway Connector of the New York State Thruway.
Before the Great Egg Harbor Bridge was completed in 1956, the parkway temporarily detoured onto US 9 and over the Beesley's Point Bridge. That bridge was closed in 2004 and demolished in 2014; US 9 now detours onto the parkway instead.
The parkway was planned to be the southern terminus of the unbuilt Driscoll Expressway, a toll road that was to run from Toms River to the New Jersey Turnpike in South Brunswick; this plan was abandoned in 1977. The parkway was also planned to be the southern terminus for Route 55 at milepost 19. This was canceled after the conclusion that the highway ran through too many wetland areas. The idea has since been revisited after frequent traffic jams on Route 47.
20th century improvements
Exit 154
The original design of exit 154 in Clifton when the parkway opened included a single ramp from the parkway northbound to US 46 eastbound and a single ramp from US 46 westbound to the parkway southbound. The missing movements were made via Route 3 and Bloomfield Avenue.In December 1957, D. Louis Tonti, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Highway Authority, announced plans to construct the missing ramps at exit 154. The announcement, held at the Cliftonia Restaurant on Lexington Avenue in Clifton, was attended by numerous local politicians, including several city councilmen and city manager William Holster. The ramp from US 46 eastbound to the parkway northbound would be long, starting just west of Broad Street and crossing over the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Boonton Branch tracks to reach the parkway northbound with a viaduct. The ramp from the southbound parkway to US 46 westbound would be of the same length, this time crossing over the Paterson Spur of the parkway and Broad and Grove Streets in Clifton. The new ramps, costing $1.7 million, would increase capacity for 8,100 new cars northbound and relieve traffic on city streets in Clifton. Tonti noted that this was the choice over building new ramps at exit 153, as they felt the US 46 interchange needed improvement at a 2.5x rate. However, a toll was not immediately on the table. If a toll was to be added, it would be 10 cents.
In February 1958, Tonti announced the acceptance of bids on the new project were to start in April. In March, the Highway Authority announced that the bids would come in on April 17 for the now $1.95 million project. The proposed start date of construction would be May 1 with completion in December. On May 1, the Highway Authority announced the project bid went to Thomas Nichol Company, Inc. of Farmingdale for a total of $1,112,465, lower than the engineers' estimation of $1,275,000 for the project and the $1.95 million announced. The new ramps, which would create 40 new full-time jobs, now included toll booths. Construction began immediately, and by May 28, the first signs of improvement came to reality. However, the total cost of the project became $2.25 million as the steelwork was added to the cost.
In June 1958, the Highway Authority filed a lawsuit to help condemn property of the Port Murray Dairy Company and Bee Gee Realty Company for the construction of the interchange. The Highway Authority recommended $6,200 for the property seized from the dairy company and $1,500 for the realtor. In July, they approved a contract of $38,451 for the installation of tolling facilities at exit 154 to the Electronic Signal Company, Inc. of Jamaica, Queens. By August 1958, the piers for the new viaduct from US 46 eastbound to the parkway northbound were finishing up. In September, the completed piers had roadway construction on top of them.
On December 25, 1958, the Highway Authority announced that the new ramps would open the next day. The ramps, expanded from 2,400 feet to, were now projected to serve 3 million people per year. The new tolls opened the next month without a formal ceremony. The dedication occurred on January 15, 1959, when the Highway Authority and several city officials attended a ceremony and a luncheon. During 1959, traffic counts noted 1.5 million cars used the new ramps at exit 154.
Exit 114
In March 1961, the Highway Authority announced that plans were being made to construct a new interchange in the Holmdel-Middletown area. This new interchange would help relieve local congestion with the opening of more industrial parks in the area. Plans came down to either Red Hill Road or Nutswamp Road for the location of the new interchange. At the same time, Holmdel wanted a new interchange for the expected influx of traffic with the opening of the Bell Laboratories complex. By June, the Highway Authority made it known that their preference was to build a new interchange at Red Hill Road.At the same time, exit 116 for Telegraph Hill Park was being used as an unofficial entrance and exit for Holmdel. The township claimed the Highway Authority, who wanted Red Hill Road improved to facilitate construction of the new interchange, threatened to close it in May 1961. However, the Highway Authority denied this claim from Holmdel, and stated it was too early to know how much the Bell Laboratories facility would add to traffic. Holmdel stated the cheapest method for dealing with traffic to get to Bell Labs was to keep exit 116 open for the traffic to use.
With a large cost to improve local roads for the Bell Labs project, the township requested that the county take over maintenance of Red Hill Road, which was due to cost $127,240. Holmdel did not want to stick the entire $830,000 bill for improving all Bell roads on Holmdel taxpayers via a bond and had to be convinced by the Highway Authority that the feds would not pony up money for the improvement with the construction of a new interchange. The proposed interchange was to be tolled and locals wanted the Highway Authority to give free passes to Holmdel taxpayers. This was determined to be unlikely as it would ruin the benefits of the interchange and set a bad precedent. In June, the county agreed to take over maintenance of Red Hill Road, along with several other roads in the area.
In November 1961, the Highway Authority and Holmdel agreed to a new interchange at Red Hill Road. The township decided that it was necessary with the opening of Bell Labs and its traffic. Workers for Bell would get off at the interchange and use Crawfords Corners Road via Red Hill Road to access the facility. The exit would come with 10 cent tolls that would bring revenues of nearly $88,477 over a 30-year stretch. Bell Labs would provide $15,440 by 1963. The new exit would also result in an average of 2,247 cars using the new interchange. As part of the plan, the ramp at exit 116 would be closed to non-emergency automobile traffic. Tolls at exit 105 would jump to 25 cents and exit 109 would become 15 cents.
On December 14, 1961, the Highway Authority made an appropriation of $50,000 for the engineering work for the new interchange. The same day, Holmdel Township accused the Highway Authority of reneging on a promise to keep open Telegraph Hill Road to automobile traffic. However, the Highway Authority and Holmdel announced in November that Telegraph Hill Road's access would close with the new interchange opening. The Highway Authority stated there was no written agreement about the decision to keep Telegraph Hill Park open to residents via this access road in 1952 when they acquired the land. However, there were no complaints from locals and the original agreement was no longer binding in any way.
Red Bank officially protested the new interchange in January 1962. With the toll at exit 109 going from 10 cents to 15 cents to help facilitate construction, the township felt it was necessary to make sure there were no further increases at all by stopping the current one. At the same time, Tonti announced that exit 109 would see needed improvements, including improved lighting for the new interchange. In February 1962, the protest became official until the clear cost of the interchange was made to the public. Red Bank requested the proposed $478,000 interchange be delayed. The Highway Authority announced they were considering Red Bank's request but due to a lack of support from Bell Labs, among others. Middletown and Holmdel's mayors both voiced their support for the project in the face of Red Bank's complaints. However, Tonti would only make the final decision for the construction of an interchange based on what the chairwoman of the Highway Authority, a resident of Red Bank, said. The reports on the interchange would be finished on March 8. Tonti announced a meeting with Red Bank to get his point across on March 7 to see if they would drop their objections.
The meeting with Red Bank was not fruitful. Tonti announced a year's delay in the construction of the new interchange. An attorney representing Monmouth County requested a 90-day delay as they prepare estimates for the county to review the costs of the interchange. Tonti declined this because the 90-day delay would put construction into the winter. The county also requested the funds for the $478,000 project be set aside and not be used for any other project. Tonti also declined that as two other projects also were in need of funds. In return, the Highway Authority would look into building an entire interchange at Telegraph Hill Road, which was used by on average 898 cars a day. Tonti also declined the proposal by Middletown to build an interchange at Dwight Road instead because it would cost more due to construction of new overpasses.
In April 1962, the county stepped in and wanted to know the status of the new interchange. Joseph Irwin, the chairman of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, offered to urge a quick decision and speedy construction of a new interchange if they got the Highway Authority's support. Tonti stated that the funds were available for the project until the next meeting on April 12, a hard deadline for Monmouth County. Tonti agreed to look at their recommendations, which included a connector to Dwight Road, at the April 12 meeting. The recommendation proved fruitless, as the interchange was shelved for 1962.
On May 3, 1962, the Highway Authority decided to go through with the plan to close the Telegraph Hill Road service road. Their decision, which would affect traffic for those going to Bell Labs and everyone else who used the service road, would happen once the alternate arrangements are made.
Objection was almost immediate. Holmdel Township, already without the interchange they wanted, opposed the closure near immediately. Bell Labs, who supported a new interchange at Red Hill Road, also requested they keep the Telegraph Hill Road ramps, which were untolled, open. On May 16, thirteen days after the announcement, the Freeholders and the Monmouth County Municipal Association joined the opposition of the closure of the road. The closure, now slated for 7 am on May 30, also had a growing opposition base in Holmdel. However, the Highway Authority stood firm in their plan to close the ramp on May 30, 1962.
The county started talking with Governor Richard J. Hughes and the Highway Authority to see if they could change their minds. Holmdel got signatures from 750 local residents to oppose the closure of the road and requesting a new meeting to discuss it. Despite the protests, the Highway Authority went through with the closing on May 30 with barricades put up and those who passed through them would be considered toll evaders.
However, on June 13, the Red Hill Road interchange proposal came out of the dead. A meeting between the Highway Authority Board, Middletown, Holmdel and Monmouth County representatives noted the halted interchange proposal would be reconsidered at a meeting on June 21. However, this time, the proposal would be delayed again if there was no way to agree to a deal. If a deal was agreed to on June 21, they were hoping work could start immediately and be finished by the end of 1962. Red Bank, the primary opposition, did not attend this meeting. Meanwhile, the lawyers at the Highway Authority noted that their lawyers were looking into re-opening the Telegraph Hill Road access road closed May 30.
The June 21 meeting proved fruitful, as an announcement was made that plans for a Red Hill Road interchange would go ahead. The plan would be to start construction by August 1. Tonti announced they would rush the bids for the project while Middletown would spend $50,000 to help construct a connection road to Dwight Road as Middletown requested. However, the decision was made to not reopen Telegraph Hill's service road and invest money into permanent moving gates. The proposed bids would be accepted on July 12 for the now $667,000 project from six different contractors who were willing to send bids. The six bids received ranged from $443,423-$506,243. The two lowest bids were held over for study. A week later, the bid was given to L. Zimmerman and Sons of Hillside and their bid $443,423 to construct the new interchange. The project had to be finished by the end of 1962 and they had $648,000 set aside for the work.
Construction equipment arrived by July 31 to begin work. In late August, the Highway Authority approved a contract with Taller and Cooper of Brooklyn, New York to install the tolling facilities for the new interchange. Tonti announced on September 19 that Telegraph Hill Road would reopen on a temporary basis on October 1 after approval from their attorneys. Reopening the interchange would cost $20,000 to improve signage and lighting. The exit opened at 12:01 am on October 1 on the basis that it would stay open until the Red Hill Road interchange was finished. By October 19, the Telegraph Hill access road was being used by an average of 1,025 cars a day. In November, they announced the hope to have the interchange finished by December 15 and it was designated as exit 114.
The Highway Authority announced on December 13 that exit 114 would open at 3 pm on December 20. The Telegraph Hill access road would close that day. The interchange opened on time and Telegraph Hill's access road closed at the same time.
Exits 165–166
In May 1966, the borough of Paramus and the New Jersey Highway Authority agreed to a complete replacement of exit 165 to improve safety and capacity. This would be in conjunction with the expansion of the parkway to six lanes from the Bergen Toll Plaza in Saddle Brook to exit 165 from 1966 to 1969. The project, costing $3.7 million, would expand the two-ramp interchange to eight ramps, creating a collector-distributor road to serve both ramps. A pair of 10 cent tolls would be instituted as well as drivers were using the ramp to bypass Route 17 from its interchange with the parkway to Ridgewood Avenue. Exit 166 at Linwood Avenue would also be discontinued as part of the new project.Construction on the new interchange began almost immediately, with the new southbound ramps opening on November 30, 1966. A month later, on December 29, the dual ramps on the northbound direction opened. On January 6, 1967, the ramps at exit 166 were closed to traffic. The tolls went into effect on February 13, a few days after a grand opening of the interchange. This was despite announcing that the tolls would go into effect on February 15.
On May 24, it leaked out that the New Jersey Highway Authority would go back on this closure, and re-open the ramps at exit 166. Paramus officials immediately protested re-opening exit 166 due to the fact that the ramp brought cars into blind curves if they turned left. The borough threatened to put up their own barriers at exit 166 if the re-opening went through at noon on May 26 as planned. 40 minutes prior to scheduled opening, the procedure was called off and a meeting between Paramus and Authority Director D. Louis Tonti scheduled for May 29.
With the aborted re-opening, a war of words broke out in the press between Tonti and the pair of Paramus Mayor Charles E. Reid and Police Chief Carl Jockish. Reid and Jockish believed that the agreement in May 1966 was a permanent one, with exit 166 being closed for good. Tonti responded that it was only temporary in their agreement. Tonti noted that this was temporary so engineers could test the traffic patterns at the new interchange 165. Reid stated that he had documents proving this agreement was a permanent one while Tonti noted that on May 17, he received the results of the traffic study stating that there would be no issues with the re-opening of the ramp. Despite this, Tonti noted that they were willing to move the barriers to prevent left turns to avoid the blind curves. However, Paramus rejected that decision before the slated opening. Tonti noted that state police troopers would be assigned to ensure the ramp stayed closed in case of any confusion.
On May 30, the Highway Authority announced that they would postpone the opening pending a safety study in helping to avoid a trip to the courts and preventing Paramus from putting up their own barriers. However, by June, a new party involved themselves in the exit 166 fight. Washington Township requested that the ramp be re-opened so emergency vehicles could access the parkway. Mayor Richard Fallon, aware of Paramus' issues, was open to the concept of a moving gate for use by emergency vehicles only and not all automobile traffic. Residents of Washington Township and nearby Westwood were also complaining as the closure of the ramps made their commutes longer, a concern Paramus denied as a legitimate issue. Tonti told The Bergen Record that there would be a decision soon. However, by July 1967, the fire chief of Washington Township had yet to deal with the inconvenience of a closed exit 166.
Tionti and Reid met on July 5, 1967 to discuss the exit 166 debacle, with Tionti requesting additional traffic data for the study. However, Tionti and Reid both wanted different things. Reid wanted to know how much the traffic changed after the construction of the Fashion Center on East Ridgewood Avenue. Tionti wanted additional data on the accidents and movement in the area between exits 165 and 166. Local police in Paramus compiled the previous five years worth of accident and traffic data for Tionti, who demanded the extra reports within two weeks of the meeting.
Tionti announced on September 12, 1967, that exit 166 would open once again after considering all the studies done on the interchange. Despite continued threats from Reid to close the interchange by force, Tionti noted that he would contact the mayor once a date was settled. Washington Township supported the decision, which would help at least 200 people from Washington Township to Park Ridge. The studies also suggested they should eliminate several left turns to help reduce the safety risk of exit 166, including trimming back trees to help visibility.
By September 15, Reid made good on his plan to oppose the re-opening, slated for September 22. Reid announced that any plans to re-open the ramps would be met with their own barricades or a court injunction. The Highway Authority expected a result similar to the dispute in May, when they sent their machinery out ready to go to remove the barricades while Paramus sent their own to build their own. Reid noted that he wanted to get the matter in front of a judge, whether it be through an injunction or a lawsuit.
However, on September 21, a judge found in favor of the New Jersey Highway Authority and ordered the barricades removed from exit 166. Despite the local protests by Paramus, who wanted a permanent closure, the judge ruled that the borough could not re-barricade the ramp from traffic. Paramus, despite the injunction, planned to continue the fight for the interchange being closed, planning a full hearing application. Cops would be assigned to make things easier for traffic as the barricades came down on September 22.
The fight continued into November 1967, when Paramus demanded the Highway Authority expand the collector-distributor road to two lanes for the benefit of a new industrial park in the area. Tionti refused to meet with the borough due to the pending lawsuit on exit 166, with a hearing scheduled in December.
21st century
On September 25, 2002, construction began on a new span of the Driscoll Bridge just west of the original spans, consisting of seven lanes and emergency shoulders. On May 3, 2006, all traffic was shifted onto the new span, and the original two were closed for rehabilitation. On May 20, 2009, all northbound traffic was shifted back onto the original spans, and the new one was made exclusively for southbound traffic.On July 9, 2003, Governor Jim McGreevey's plan to merge the operating organizations of the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike into one agency, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, was completed.
In May 2005, Governor Richard Codey announced plans for a widening of the parkway between exit 63 in Stafford Township and exit 80 in the borough of South Toms River from two to three lanes in both directions. However, the NJTA later made plans to widen the parkway from exit 80 all the way south to exit 30 in the city of Somers Point. The project was divided into three phases. The first phase from exits 80 to 63 was complete in May 2011. The second phase from exits 63 to 48 was complete in November 2014. The third phase from exits 48 to 30 was completed in 2018, and included construction of new bridges across the Mullica River from the city of Port Republic to Bass River Township.
In 2008, a $150 million project began to add new ramps at the interchange with I-78, supplying the missing movements between the two highways. Previously, the parkway northbound did not have an exit to I-78 westbound, and the parkway southbound did not have an exit to I-78 eastbound. The lack of connections was due to the cancellation of the extension of I-278 and Route 75. In April 2008, the New Jersey Department of Transportation awarded the project contract to the engineering firm Gannett Fleming for the design, and to Union Paving & Construction Company for building the ramps. The ramp connecting the parkway northbound with I-78 westbound opened on September 16, 2009 with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Governor Jon Corzine, and the ramp connecting the parkway southbound with I-78 eastbound opened on December 10, 2010.
As originally built, in Cape May County, the parkway had three traffic lights, but these were eliminated in 2014–2015, with construction of three overpasses in Cape May Court House and Stone Harbor. Construction began in early 2013, years after the scheduled start date due to a wetland mitigation plan that had not been approved by the federal government. The project cost $125 million, and was complete by September 2015.
The southbound bridge over the Great Egg Harbor Bay was replaced with a wider span parallel to the older span as part of a $79.3 million project. Construction began in 2013 and continued into 2019. The new southbound bridge temporarily carried both northbound and southbound traffic so the northbound bridge could receive new decking and strengthening. The project also included the addition of a mixed-use walkway along the new southbound span that will allow pedestrian and bicycle connections between Upper Township and Somers Point. However, NJDOT and the city of Somers Point blocked the path from opening until it is linked with an existing path leading to Ocean City. In March 2020, NJDOT announced that the path is set to open on May 6.
On July 22, 2014, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority filed a federal lawsuit against Jersey Boardwalk Pizza, a pizza chain in Florida, for using a logo too similar to the signs for the Garden State Parkway. Federal Judge William Martini dismissed the suit on March 26, 2015.
In June 2018, an improvement project began at the interchange with I-280 and CR 508. The project involves widening the entrance ramp to the parkway southbound from one to two lanes and adding a second deceleration lane on the parkway northbound. To accommodate the wider roadway, the overpass carrying Central Avenue over the parkway is being rebuilt. Five nearby bridges are also being rehabilitated as part of the project. The project is expected to cost $63 million and be completed in August 2022.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has plans to close exit 30 in Somers Point, which connects to Laurel Drive, a residential street that leads to US 9 and becomes Route 52, an access road to Ocean City. With the closure of exit 30, exit 29 will be converted to a full interchange to redirect traffic heading to Ocean City from points north along US 9 and CR 559 to reach Route 52. The planned closure of exit 30 is being made in order to reduce summertime traffic congestion along the parkway from vehicles exiting at the interchange along with reducing summertime traffic levels along Laurel Drive. The proposed closure of exit 30 and conversion of exit 29 to a full interchange has received opposition from officials in Somers Point and Ocean City along with residents along CR 559 fearing increased traffic congestion.
Regulations
The speed limit on the parkway is for most of its length. However, it is posted at on a section near Toms River and on a section between Sayreville and Paramus. The NJTA may temporarily reduce the speed limit when special hazards exist.Commercial trucks with a registered weight of over are not allowed to use the parkway north of exit 105, just past the Asbury Park Toll Plaza. South of this point, trucks are permitted, but must pay additional tolls. Buses are allowed for the entire length of the parkway. In April 2011, New Jersey Transportation Commissioner James Simpson announced the NJTA was looking into the possibility of allowing trucks on the northern portion of the Garden State Parkway. However, the idea was quickly abandoned after the agency found the road had engineering concerns that would make the consideration of allowing trucks on this segment impossible.
On February 1, 1961, the NJHA outlawed motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles from the entire length of the parkway. The ban was enacted after a year involving 20 motorcycle accidents and two fatalities. Motorcyclists who used the highway faced a fine of $200 or a 30-day jail sentence. However, the motorcycle ban was lifted on November 1, 1975, after pressure from entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes and other motorcyclists.
Tolls
The Garden State Parkway uses an open system of tolling where tolls are collected at somewhat regular intervals along its length and at certain entrances and exits. This contrasts with the New Jersey Turnpike, which uses a closed system where a motorist receives a ticket with the toll rates at the highway's entrance, and turns in the ticket along with the toll upon exiting at toll gates.As of 2012, the standard car toll is $0.75 on the main road at two-way toll plazas and $1.50 at one-way toll plazas. Some entrances and exits require a toll of either $0.50, $0.75, $1.00, or $1.50. It costs $8.25 to travel the entire length of the parkway in a car.
There are three different lane types at the toll plazas. However, not all plazas have every type of lane at all times.
The first type is full-service lanes. These lanes are staffed and toll collectors can provide change and receipts to drivers.
The second type is exact-change lanes. In these lanes, motorists deposit coins in a toll basket and each coin is mechanically counted. Payment of tolls is enforced by photo, a system that went into effect on October 17, 2011. The Union Toll Plaza was the first to use an automated toll-collection machine; a plaque commemorating this event includes the first quarter collected at its toll booths. Historically, these lanes also accepted tokens, and were common on main roadway toll plazas. However, between September and October 2018, exact-change lanes were discontinued on mainline toll plazas; they continue to be used for exit and entrance ramp toll plazas.
The third type of lane is for the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system. Dedicated lanes only accept vehicles with E-ZPass tags. The speed limit in these lanes is, or in Express E-ZPass lanes. Full-service lanes also accept E-ZPass tags.
Tokens, available for purchase at full-service toll plaza lanes, were introduced in 1981 at a price of $10 for a roll of 40 tokens; as the toll was 25 cents at the time, most drivers continued to use quarters. However, when the toll was increased to 35 cents in 1989, rolls were priced at 30 tokens for $10; between the slight discount and the convenience of using a single coin, tokens gained in popularity. There were also larger bus tokens, primarily for use by Atlantic City-bound buses. As E-ZPass became more widespread, tokens were phased out. Token sales were discontinued on January 1, 2002, and they were no longer accepted effective January 1, 2009.
E-ZPass was first installed at the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza in December 1999, and the system was completed in August 2000. Beginning on November 19, 2001, E-ZPass customers were charged the approximate token rate of 33 cents during peak hours, or 30 cents during off-peak hours instead of 35 cents, the cash toll rate at the time. Due to tremendous cost overruns in implementing the E-ZPass system on New Jersey's toll highways, the discount was eliminated the next year. NJHA E-ZPass customers were charged a $1-per-month account fee, 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. E-ZPass discounts continue to be available for off-peak travel, senior citizens, drivers of green vehicles, and trailers.
To reduce congestion, 10 of the 11 toll plazas on the roadway were converted into one-way plazas between September 2004 and February 2010, dubbed "one-way tolling". Under this program, the toll is doubled in one direction, and the other direction is toll-free. The Cape May, Great Egg, New Gretna, Barnegat, Asbury Park, Raritan, Union, Essex, Bergen, and Pascack Valley toll plazas had been converted to one-way toll plazas. The Toms River Toll Plaza is the only location on the parkway mainline where a toll is collected in both directions.
Literature from the time of 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 make it unlikely it will become toll-free in the foreseeable future.
Picnic areas
One of the objectives of the parkway was to become a state park its entire length, and its users would enjoy park-like aesthetics with minimal intrusion of urban scenery. Along the ride, users were permitted to stop and picnic along the roadway to further enjoy the relaxation qualities the parkway had to offer. All picnic areas had tall trees that provided shade and visual isolation from the roadway. Grills, benches, running water and restrooms were provided. Over time as the parkway transformed into a road of commerce, the picnic areas were closed for a variety of reasons. Their ramp terminals became insufficient to accommodate the high-speed mainline traffic and in addition to the decreasing number of users, the picnic areas were becoming more effective as maintenance yards and were converted as such or closed altogether.The one remaining picnic area, John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly, is closed from dusk to dawn. Posted signs within the picnic area prohibit fires and camping.
There were ten operational picnic areas:
| Name | Location | Milepost | Direction | Opened | Closed | Notes |
| John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly | Upper Township | Both | October 20, 1965 | - | John B. Townsend was a physician from Ocean City who became the New Jersey Highway Authority's second Vice Chairman in 1955. The word Shoemaker comes from the last name of the landowner in the way of the parkway's alignment during its initial construction. The term Holly comes from the holly tree that was on Shoemaker's property. The tree is presumed to be 300 years old and one of, if not, the oldest holly tree in the United States. The bathrooms at Shoemaker Holly were demolished in August 2014. | |
| Stafford Forge | Stafford Township | Both | May 27, 1955 | 1990s | ||
| Oyster Creek | Lacey Township | Both | May 27, 1955 | 1980s-1990s | The murder of Maria Marshall orchestrated by her husband Robert O. Marshall occurred in the Oyster Creek picnic area on the night of September 7, 1984. The story was made into a novel and television movie on NBC. | |
| Double Trouble | Double Trouble | Southbound | February 23, 1961 | The NJHA chose to abandon the picnic area due to the outbreak of mosquitoes from a nearby cranberry bog. | ||
| Polhemus Creek | Brick Township | Northbound | June 4, 1955 | 1980s-1990s | ||
| Herbertsville | Wall Township | Southbound | May 27, 1955 | 1980s | Converted to a maintenance yard of the same name and heavy vehicle weigh station. | |
| Telegraph Hill | Holmdel Township | Both | April 24, 1957 | 2010s | The picnic area was off exit 116, next to the PNC Bank Arts Center. | |
| Glenside | Woodbridge Township | Southbound | October 23, 1987 | Closed due to illegal use for sex and drugs | ||
| Madison Hill | Woodbridge Township | Northbound | November 1, 1950 | 1980s-1990s | Madison Hill was an overlook constructed for the Route 4 Parkway rather than the whole Garden State Parkway. | |
| Tall Oaks | Cranford | Southbound | July 1988 | Closed due to illegal use for sex and drugs; converted to maintenance yard |
Services
Service areas
All service areas are located in the center median, unless otherwise noted.| Name | Location | Milepost | Direction | Opened | Closed | Facilities | Notes |
| Ocean View | Dennis Township | Both | July 8, 1955 | Restrooms, fuel, vending machines, tourist information | Formerly known as Seaville. | ||
| Atlantic Plaza | Galloway Township | Both | Food, restrooms, fuel and information | ||||
| New Gretna | Bass River Township | Both | July 1, 1955 | Food, restrooms, fuel | Temporary service area built for services until the permanent service areas were completed. Now site of a maintenance facility. | ||
| Forked River | Lacey Township | Both | May 19-26, 1955 | Food, restrooms, fuel | The snack bar at Forked River opened the weekend of May 19-20, 1955, but full facilities did not open until May 26. | ||
| Monmouth | Wall Township | Both | July 1, 1955 | Food, restrooms, fuel | Northernmost service area that can be accessed by trucks over 10,000 pounds. Food and fuel services were not available between September 2018 and May 2019 due to reconstruction. | ||
| Eatontown | Tinton Falls | Both | July 1, 1955 | Food, restrooms, fuel | Temporary service area built for services until the permanent service areas were completed. | ||
| Cheesequake | Old Bridge Township | Both | May 12, 1955 | Food, restrooms, fuel | |||
| Colonia South | Woodbridge Township | Southbound | Fuel, convenience stores and restrooms | ||||
| Colonia North | Woodbridge Township | Northbound | Fuel, convenience stores and restrooms | ||||
| Vaux Hall | Union Township | Northbound | May 26, 1955 | Food, restrooms and fuel | |||
| Brookdale South | Bloomfield | Southbound | August 10, 1956 | Food, restrooms and fuel | |||
| Brookdale North | Bloomfield | Northbound | December 10, 1956 | Fuel and convenience store | Doubles as barracks for New Jersey State Police. | ||
| Montvale | Montvale | Both | September 18, 1958 | Food, restrooms, fuel and information | Travel center burned down in 1991; reopened on May 1, 1993. |
In the 1950s, four petroleum companies were hired to provide gasoline and vehicular necessities—Esso, Texaco, Atlantic and Cities Service. The Cities Service company was the petroleum provider at Monmouth, Forked River, Atlantic City and Ocean View and offered a service where female employees were hired for those service area showrooms, wore uniforms and were known as the Park-ettes. Their duties included providing directions and other information to motorists as well as rendering odd bits of service such as sewing a missing button on a patron's coat.
Emergency assistance
On the Garden State Parkway, the emergency assistance number is #GSP, which is #477 in number form. The New Jersey State Police is the primary police agency that handles calls for service on the parkway. Other emergency services such as fire and first aid are usually handled by the jurisdictions in which that section of the parkway passes.Exit list
Many entrances and exits have tolls. In general, exits have tolls when they precede a barrier toll, and exits are free when they follow a barrier toll. Conversely, entrances that precede a barrier toll are free, and tolls are paid at entrances just beyond a barrier toll. There are no tolls between exits 129 and 141, as this was the original road segment that predates the New Jersey Highway Authority.Historically, the exit numbers on the northbound and southbound roadways were not symmetrical. The New Jersey Highway Authority considered each as a separate road and as a result, many exits had non-matching numbers.