The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which operates the Garden State Parkway, is planning numerous improvements to the Garden State Parkway in Ocean County, and is inviting the public to offer input.
Interested drivers, residents, and other stakeholders are invited to log in to the Virtual Public Information Center at www.njta.com/GSP80to83 at any time between March 27th and April 13th to learn about the operational improvements the New Jersey Turnpike Authority proposes to make to the Garden State Parkway from Mileposts 80 to 83.
Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer feedback.
According to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the purpose of the proposed project is to “improve safety and accessibility and to reduce travel times in a corridor with high crash rates, high traffic volumes, and operational deficiencies.”
Among the improvements proposed are these:
- Constructing additional entrance and exit ramps at Interchange 80 to provide full access between the Parkway and the local roadways;
- Relocating the Interchange 81 southbound exit ramp;
- Adding northbound and southbound collector-distributor roads to improve access at Interchanges 81, 82 and 82A. The collector-distributor roads will add traffic capacity and eliminate weaving conditions on the mainline in the project corridor;
- Providing 12-foot left and right shoulders and travel lanes and correcting other substandard design elements where feasible;
- Repairing and improving 11 bridges and building seven retaining walls.
The project corridor runs through four Ocean County municipalities: Toms River, South Toms River, Berkeley, and Beachwood.
Most of the improvements will take place within the existing New Jersey Turnpike Authority right-of-way.
The Turnpike Authority is required to perform an environmental analysis for the improvements and submit an Environmental Impact Statement to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Input offered by members of the public during the Virtual Public Information Center will be incorporated into that document.
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