Garden State Parkway

Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway highlighted in green
Route information
Maintained by NJTA
Length	172.40 mi (277.45 km)
Existed	1950–present
History	Completed in 1956, extended to the New York state line in 1957
Component highways	Route 444 (unsigned)
Tourist routes	Pine Barrens Byway
NHS	Entire route
Restrictions	No trucks north of exit 105
Major junctions
South end	Route 109 in Lower Township
Major intersections	US 40 / US 322 in Egg Harbor Township A.C. Expressway in Egg Harbor Township US 30 in Galloway Township I-195 / Route 138 / Route 34 in Wall Township US 9 / Route 440 in Woodbridge Township I-95 / N.J. Turnpike in Woodbridge Township US 1 in Woodbridge Township I-78 in Hillside I-280 in East Orange I-80 in Saddle Brook
North end	Garden State Parkway Connector in Chestnut Ridge, NY
Location
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Counties	Cape May, Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Union, Essex, Passaic, Bergen
Highway system
New Jersey State Highway Routes Interstate US State Scenic Byways
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
← Route 440 444 → Route 445

The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May north to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State". The parkway is designated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) as Route 444, although this designation is unsigned. 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 Garden State Parkway is the longest highway in the state at approximately 172 miles (277 km), and, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, was the busiest toll road in the United States in 2006. Most of the highway north of the Raritan River runs through heavily populated areas. Between the Raritan River and the township of Toms River, the highway passes through lighter suburban development, while south of Toms River, the road mostly runs through unspoiled wilderness in the Pine Barrens and swampland. The highway has a posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) for most of its length and is primarily for passenger vehicle use; trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) are prohibited north of exit 105.

The parkway was constructed between 1946 and 1957 to connect suburban northern New Jersey with the Jersey Shore 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 1), US 9, and Route 35. During planning and construction of the first segment, the road was to be a toll-free highway designated as the Route 4 Parkway. However, a lack of funding caused the remainder of the parkway to be built as a toll road. 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 (NJHA), however in 2003, the agency merged into the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), 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. From here, the road heads into suburban areas. 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 (Interstate 95 or I-95). 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 the state of New York where it becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, continuing north to the New York State Thruway mainline.

Typical entrance sign for the parkway

The parkway serves as a major route connecting North Jersey with all of the state's shore points, and as such, is subject to frequent congestion. 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 speed limit on the parkway is 65 mph (105 km/h) for most of its length. However, it is posted at 55 mph (90 km/h) on a 5-mile (8.0 km) section near Toms River and on a 40-mile (64 km) 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 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) are not allowed to use the parkway north of exit 105, just past the Asbury Park Toll Plaza. 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

Garden State Parkway southbound, approaching the southern terminus at Route 109 in Lower Township

The parkway begins at an at-grade intersection with Route 109 in Lower Township, Cape May County, where Route 109 continues south toward the city of Cape May and west toward US 9 and the Cape May–Lewes Ferry. The GSP runs north as a four-lane freeway on the Cape May peninsula through the Cape Island Wildlife Management Area, running west of swampland, separating the highway from the Jersey Shore communities. Trees occupy the median and the sides of the road for the next several miles. After passing to the east of Cape May National Golf Club, crossing over Jones Creek, and passing a pond in the median, the highway enters Middle Township and has an interchange with Route 47, which serves The Wildwoods resort area and the community of Rio Grande. North of this point, the parkway crosses over the abandoned Wildwood Branch of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), and afterwards, the trees in the median disappear and the highway has a partial interchange with Route 147, which provides access to North Wildwood, Whitesboro, and Burleigh. Crossing into the county seat of Cape May Court House, the median narrows and US 9 appears within yards of the southbound lanes of the parkway as it passes west of The Shore Club golf course. The two highways then split apart and the GSP bisects residential areas before reaching an interchange for County Route 657 (CR 657), which serves the Cape Regional Medical Center and the borough of Stone Harbor.

Garden State Parkway southbound in Cape May Court House

Past this point, the road comes to an interchange for CR 609, which provides access to the Cape May County Park & Zoo and a building complex containing the Cape May County Technical School District. After a southbound entrance ramp from US 9, the parkway leaves Cape May Court House and returns to a desolate wooded setting with a wide tree-filled median. Continuing north, the parkway has an interchange with CR 601, serving the borough of Avalon and Swainton. North of this point, the highway enters Dennis Township and has a partial junction with CR 625, serving Sea Isle City before reaching the Bruce Willis Service Area in the median. Past the service area, the parkway enters Upper Township and reaches the Cape May Toll Plaza northbound immediately before meeting the southern terminus of Route 50, which serves Seaville, at a partial interchange. After passing east of several homes and a golf course, the parkway has the John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly Picnic Area in the median before it crosses over the abandoned PRSL Ocean City Branch. Continuing north, the highway comes to a diamond interchange with US 9 and CR 623, which serves Ocean City and Marmora. North of this exit, US 9 begins to run concurrently with the GSP, and the two routes run east of the community of Beesleys Point before the median narrows, and they cross the Great Egg Harbor Bay on the Great Egg Harbor Bridge.

Garden State Parkway northbound at the Atlantic City Expressway in Egg Harbor Township

The highway surfaces into the city of Somers Point, Atlantic County, where the southbound roadway has the Great Egg Toll Plaza before US 9 leaves the parkway at a partial junction. Past this point, the median widens and the parkway passes west of the Greate Bay Country Club and some homes before a partial interchange with Laurel Drive, which provides access to Somers Point and Ocean City. After passing to the west of more residences, the median briefly becomes a Jersey barrier as the route crosses the Patcong Creek into Egg Harbor Township, where developments begin to appear on the west side of the highway. Eventually, the parkway crosses into uninhabited areas again before heading into a commercial area and widening to six lanes. Here, the road has a junction with US 40/US 322 and CR 563, marking the first of three interchanges with roads that serve Atlantic City, located to the east. The median then transitions to a Jersey barrier and the parkway passes over the abandoned PRSL Newfield Branch before a partial junction with CR 608 and a cloverleaf interchange with the controlled-access Atlantic City Expressway (which heads west toward Philadelphia), where the northbound and southbound roadways split apart again. Upon leaving the commercial area, the highway passes to the east of Atlantic City International Airport and crosses over a flume of the Atlantic City Reservoir, which has a basin on each side of the highway. Continuing north, the highway enters Galloway Township and passes over NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line before it comes to a partial interchange with US 30, serving the city of Absecon. North of this exit, the median is home to the Frank Sinatra Service Area, which also has a barrack of the New Jersey State Police. Immediately north of the service plaza, the parkway has an interchange with CR 561, serving the community of Pomona. The parkway then enters the sparsely populated Pine Barrens, passing to the east of Stockton University and reaching a junction with CR 575/CR 561 Alt. Past this point, the road turns northeast and crosses into the city of Port Republic as it winds north into the uninhabited Port Republic Wildlife Management Area. With some occasional development appearing along the sides of the road, the median narrows to a Jersey barrier as US 9 merges back onto the parkway, along with the Pine Barrens Byway, and the three routes cross the Mullica River.

Burlington and Ocean counties

Garden State Parkway northbound at split with US 9 in Bass River Township

The highway surfaces into Bass River Township, Burlington County, and US 9 and the Pine Barrens Byway depart at a partial interchange. Continuing northeast past the community of New Gretna, the parkway passes over US 9 with no access before crossing the Bass River and the median widens and contains a maintenance yard. Past this point, the median temporarily narrows again as the northbound lanes have the 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, which serves Tuckerton, 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 development along the road begins to increase. Here, the highway has an interchange with Route 72, which provides access to Manahawkin and Long Beach Island. The parkway then forms a border between residential neighborhoods to the west and forest to the east before passing to the east of a golf course and entering Barnegat Township, where the concentration of houses shifts to the east. After an interchange with CR 554, the parkway passes by residential neighborhoods on both sides of the highway before the median shortly narrows and 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 before reaching an interchange with CR 614, serving the community of Forked River, and the Celia Cruz Service Area in the median.

Garden State Parkway southbound at CR 614 in Lacey Township

Father north, the road crosses over Cedar Creek and enters Berkeley Township, passing west of a golf course and Central Regional High School while traversing Double Trouble State Park. The route then crosses into the borough of Beachwood and passes west of several homes before entering the borough of South Toms River, where the median narrows and the parkway becomes concurrent with US 9 once again at a junction with CR 530. After crossing the Toms River and entering the township of Toms River, the highway passes west of the Toms River Bus Terminal serving NJ Transit buses. Past this point, the road crosses the abandoned Conrail Barnegat Branch and reaches an exit for CR 527 before passing trees and reaching a cloverleaf interchange with Route 37, which provides access to Lakehurst, Seaside Heights, and Island Beach State Park. After heading northwest between trees on the west and neighborhoods on the east, the GSP turns northeast as the median widens and contains a maintenance yard, and US 9 leaves the parkway at a junction with Route 166. Past the interchange, the parkway reaches the bi-directional Toms River Toll Plaza and passes by lighter suburban development in addition to parkland, with Ocean County College to the east. Upon entering Lakewood Township, the parkway has an interchange with Route 70, serving Brick Township and Point Pleasant Beach to the east; this interchange also serves CR 528. Running along the border of Lakewood and Brick townships, the route has an interchange with CR 549 before crossing the South Branch Metedeconk River and passing over Route 88 with no access. Now entirely within Brick Township, the route crosses the North Branch Metedeconk River and reaches a second exit for CR 549, where a pedestrian bridge for the Brick Park and Ride, located to the east, passes over the parkway. North of this interchange, the road widens to eight lanes and passes west of a solar farm.

Monmouth and Middlesex counties

Garden State Parkway northbound at I-195, Route 138, and Route 34 in Wall Township

Upon entering Wall Township, Monmouth County, the southbound lanes have a truck inspection area and the parkway passes west of Brick Township Reservoir through woods. The parkway crosses the Manasquan River and passes under the Capital to Coast Trail before reaching a large interchange near Allaire State Park. The interchange includes a pair of collector-distributor roads and serves the eastern terminus of I-195 (which runs west across Central Jersey toward Trenton), Route 34 (which runs southeast toward Point Pleasant Beach), and Route 138 (which runs east toward Belmar). 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 Judy Blume 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, which runs east toward Bradley Beach and west toward Freehold Township, and Route 66, which heads east toward Asbury Park. Soon afterwards, the parkway passes to the west of the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets and has a partial exit for CR 16, where the road widens to ten lanes. North of this point, the parkway reaches the northbound Asbury Park Toll Plaza.

Garden State Parkway northbound at the interchange with Route 18 and Route 36 in Tinton Falls

Immediately north of the toll barrier, the road divides into a local-express lane configuration with two express and three local lanes in each direction. The parkway passes to the east of a solar farm before reaching an interchange with the Route 18 freeway and Route 36, which head north toward New Brunswick and east toward Long Branch, respectively. The connector road from the parkway to the terminus of Route 36 and CR 51 is designated by NJDOT as Route 444S. North of the interchange, the GSP passes over the Southern Secondary railroad line operated by the Delaware and Raritan River Railroad and bisects residential neighborhoods before crossing the Swimming River into Middletown, where the road has an interchange with CR 520, which contains a park and ride and serves Red Bank and Lincroft. The parkway then passes over Normandy Road, which serves as a road and railroad link between the two sections of Naval Weapons Station Earle. Continuing northwest past houses and parks, the route has an interchange with CR 52 as it enters Holmdel Township, where it serves the PNC Bank Arts Center and the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. Upon entering Hazlet, the parkway crosses NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line before reaching an interchange for Route 35 and Route 36, which serves Keyport. At this point, the express roadway in each direction gains a third lane. Immediately north of here is a southbound exit and entrance at CR 3, where the parkway briefly enters Aberdeen Township and passes over the Matawan Creek before crossing the North Jersey Coast Line for a second time. Upon entering Old Bridge Township, Middlesex County, and reaching an interchange for CR 689 serving Matawan, the highway enters Cheesequake State Park.

Garden State Parkway northbound approaching the Driscoll Bridge in Sayreville

After crossing the Cheesequake Creek near a marina and leaving the park, the road enters Sayreville and has the Jon Bon Jovi Service Area in the median, with access to both the express and local lanes of the highway. Passing to the southwest of South Amboy, the parkway has a partial interchange with US 9 and passes over Conrail Shared Assets Operations' (CSAO) Amboy Secondary line. 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 US 9 and the Route 440 freeway, providing access to the Outerbridge Crossing to Staten Island. Just north of exit 127 in Woodbridge Township, the parkway runs in between the northbound and southbound lanes of US 9. After passing under CSAO's Perth Amboy Running Track, US 9 splits off to the east and the parkway reaches an interchange with the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95). 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 the community of Iselin, passing to the east of several corporate offices. Immediately after passing under Amtrak's Northeast Corridor east of the Metropark station serving Amtrak and NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line, the GSP has an interchange with Route 27 (Lincoln Highway), which serves Rahway to the northeast. North of this point, the parkway curves northeast through densely populated neighborhoods, passing the Colonia South and Colonia North service areas.

Union and Essex counties

Garden State Parkway southbound at Vauxhall Road in Union Township

Crossing into Clark, Union County, the highway continues to pass through dense neighborhoods as a ten-lane roadway with a Jersey barrier. After crossing the Robinson's Branch Reservoir and passing an interchange with CR 613, the southbound lanes have access to a maintenance yard. The highway then passes west of a park and Winfield Township before crossing the Rahway River into Cranford, where there is a junction with CR 607 and CR 615. After passing west of a business park and 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, which serves Roselle Park to the east. Upon entering Kenilworth, the highway passes many businesses before the road meets CR 509, passes to the east of Galloping Hill Golf Course, and enters Union Township, where the parkway has a junction with CR 619. Immediately afterwards, the road comes to an interchange with US 22 and Route 82 serving Hillside, where the GSP briefly runs in between the carriageways of US 22 and the Union Watersphere appears on the east side of the parkway. Here, the parkway narrows to eight lanes, and the northbound lanes have access to the Whitney Houston Service Area. After the service area, the road crosses the Elizabeth River and briefly enters Hillside, where it reaches the northbound Union Toll Plaza before an interchange with I-78.

Garden State Parkway northbound in East Orange

Running northeast into Irvington, Essex County, the highway passes west of a park and east of many houses before reaching a pair of interchanges for local roads and passing 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, which are mostly lined by residences. 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 passing East Orange General Hospital's Eastern Pavilion, the parkway comes to an interchange with I-280 and CR 508, which serve Downtown Newark. At the interchange, the GSP loses a lane in each direction and passes under NJ Transit's Morris & Essex Lines near East Orange station. The parkway continues to run in between frontage roads containing many houses before passing west of several apartment buildings and hospitals and crossing the abandoned Orange Branch of the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway. Winding into Bloomfield as a six-lane roadway, the GSP crosses NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line and has an interchange with the Newark-Pompton Turnpike (CR 506 Spur), where the frontage roads end. After passing under Norfolk Southern's Boonton Line and reaching an exit for CR 506, the parkway enters a more suburban area and the southbound parkway has the Essex Toll Plaza. The highway then briefly enters Nutley before crossing back into Bloomfield, where the Jersey barrier becomes a grassy median and the parkway reaches a diamond interchange for CR 655 serving Montclair and passing the Larry Doby and Connie Chung service areas, serving northbound and southbound traffic respectively, to the west of the Upper Montclair Country Club.

Passaic and Bergen counties

Garden State Parkway northbound at US 46 in Clifton

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 Road Park and Ride serving NJ Transit buses. After passing under a set of power lines and bisecting a residential area, the route has an incomplete interchange with US 46. Immediately north, the parkway meets the southern terminus of the Route 19 freeway, which heads north toward the city of Paterson. Past this point, the highway curves northeast and passes over NJ Transit's Main Line before the median transitions to a Jersey barrier and the highway has a northbound exit and southbound entrance at CR 702, serving the city of Passaic. The parkway heads northeast past many homes before heading into a business district and crossing Norfolk Southern's Passaic Spur line. After passing many more residences near the route, the parkway reaches a partial interchange with the southern terminus of Route 20. Immediately afterwards, the parkway crosses the Passaic River and enters Elmwood Park, Bergen County, where it comes to a second interchange with US 46, serving Garfield. Passing more homes, followed by several businesses, 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.

Garden State Parkway northbound at Route 17 in Paramus

Continuing northeast, the road passes through Saddle River County Park and crosses the Saddle River tributary into Rochelle Park. 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 passes east of the Arcola Country Club and runs closely parallel with Route 17 before interchanging with it. Past this interchange, the median becomes grass-filled. After passing east of businesses and west of homes, the parkway passes in between the Paramus Park shopping mall and New Bridge Medical Center before reaching a junction with CR 80, which serves Oradell and has a park and ride. After bisecting residential neighborhoods, the parkway has a partial junction with CR 110 before entering Washington Township where the southbound lanes have the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza – the northernmost toll plaza on the highway. North of the toll plaza, the median becomes substantially wider and trees begin to appear within it. The Garden State Parkway finally narrows from six to four lanes at the exit for CR 502, serving Westwood and Emerson. Winding through the Pascack Valley region of Bergen County past many homes and woodland, the parkway briefly enters Hillsdale before entering Woodcliff Lake, where there is a northbound exit and southbound entrance for Chestnut Ridge Road, which is accessed via CR S73 and serves the borough of Saddle River. The parkway then enters Montvale, where it reaches the James Gandolfini Service Area, the northernmost service area on the road. Immediately north is an exit for CR 94 serving Park Ridge; this is the northernmost exit of the Garden State Parkway, which crosses into the state of New York soon afterwards. From there, the route becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, a component of the New York State Thruway system, which heads north toward the Thruway mainline (I-87/I-287) in Nanuet.

History

Planning and construction

Following World War II, traffic increased substantially on highways along the New Jersey coast. Due to the high traffic volume and presence of numerous traffic lights, it took motorists over three hours to travel between Paterson and Atlantic City. In 1946, plans were made to construct a high-speed parkway to provide a bypass of Route 4, which, prior to 1953, ran from Cape May north to the George Washington Bridge by way of Paterson, largely following present-day US 1, US 9, and Route 35. This highway would be constructed using state funds and be known as the Route 4 Parkway. Construction began in 1947, and the first section to open ran from Route 27 north to Cranford and opened on June 29, 1950. The highway was extended south to New Brunswick Avenue in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, on November 1 that year, and north to Union Township on July 16, 1953. These segments, which now run between exits 129 and 140, can be distinguished from the rest of the GSP by the stone facing on the overpasses. In Cape May County, a four mile bypass of Cape May Court House opened on July 29, 1951, from exit 12 to the point where the parkway directly parallels US 9 north of Burleigh. However, due to a lack of funds, construction of the Route 4 Parkway stalled. In 1952, only the bypass of Toms River was opened, on July 3. The solution was for the state to establish the New Jersey Highway Authority (NJHA) in 1952 to oversee construction and operation of the remainder of the parkway as a self-liquidating toll road from Cape May to the New York state line. Literature from the time indicates that the parkway would become toll-free once bonds used for its construction were paid off. However, this speculation never became a reality.

Stone overpasses on the Garden State Parkway in Union County

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.

Garden State Parkway southbound in Toms River

Sections opened in quick succession in 1954; these were the first to be tolled. The first tolls on the parkway were collected on the extension of the existing highway from US 22 to Mill Road, two days after it opened on January 13, 1954. The Toms River bypass was extended south to Manahawkin on July 15, and north to the Eatontown Spur (now Route 36) on July 30, 1954. The bridge carrying the parkway over the Raritan River was also opened to northbound traffic on this day, extending the highway south to US 9 in Sayreville. The southbound lanes were opened on the bridge south to Eatontown on August 4, and an extension to New Gretna opened the day after. Closing the northbound gap from Eatontown to Sayreville on August 7 provided for 90 miles of unbroken highway. Within Atlantic County, a large section from Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township to the south bank of the Mullica River opened on August 11, though north of the White Horse Pike the road initially operated as a temporary super two on the southbound lanes until August 21. This was extended south to Somers Point on August 27 (again as a super-two before the northbound lanes opened on September 22), then connected across the Mullica River to the existing section on August 28 over a temporary super-two, with the other lanes opened a few weeks later. The Cape May section of highway was also extended north to Route 50 at Seaville that day, which then was extended south to Route 47 on September 4, and north to Beesley's Point Bridge on October 6. The entire highway south of Irvington was declared finished on October 9, 1954. The lone exception was across the Great Egg Harbor; the parkway temporarily detoured onto US 9 and over the Beesley's Point Bridge at this point.

Garden State Parkway northbound at the Route 27 interchange in Woodbridge Township

Extensions north of Irvington begun opening in the months thereafter. The section from Irvington to Central Avenue in East Orange was scheduled to open on November 26, but complaints about the road's safety from Irvington officials stalled opening until December 9, after the erection of temporary fences along the road's length. An extension north also proved tumultuous: though scheduled to open on January 4, the extension to North Arlington Avenue opened a day earlier than scheduled. Mayor William McConnell ordered a blockade on this section of the highway on January 4, stating that North Arlington Avenue would be unable to handle traffic coming from the parkway. It was only when the southbound section was opened to exit 148 on January 8 that the blockade was lifted on the southbound section. At this point, Bloomfield mayor Donald E. Scott prevented the opening of the northbound lanes until the completion of a new bridge carrying Bloomfield Avenue over Second River needed to carry exiting traffic. Though this bridge was not completed for some time, the highway opened fully to US 46 on January 19, negating this prerequisite. However, Mayor Scott still barred all entrances and exits except for the southbound entrance from Bloomfield Avenue, until an inspection proved the highway safe; the exits were finally opened on January 21. During this conflict, the section from Route 3 to Hazel Street in Clifton opened on January 4. A similar blockade was threatened to be placed, but the announcement of speedy construction of fencing prevented this. The bridge over the Passaic River opened on May 26, 1955. This extended the parkway's northern terminus to US 46 in present-day Elmwood Park. On July 1 of that year, the portion of the highway from US 46 to Route 17 in Paramus opened. In April 1956, the parkway's trailblazer was posted.

The old alignment at the Beesley's Point Bridge heading southbound with a white center line (instead of yellow)

At the time of its construction, only the bypass of Cape May Court House in Cape May County was a dual-carriageway highway. A project to construct another carriageway as the northbound lanes cumulated at the end of 1955, with the section north of Seaville opening on October 17, the section south of Cape May Court House on October 25, and the rest on October 28. The Great Egg Harbor Bridge was completed on June 16, 1956. The Beesley's Point Bridge that had previously carried the highway was closed in 2004 and demolished in 2014; US 9 now detours onto the parkway instead.

Soon after the parkway's opening, congestion on Route 17 increased substantially, prompting an extension of the parkway to Montvale, connecting to the newly-built New York State Thruway. By November 30, 1955, it had been determined that this extension was financially feasible. On January 18, 1956, the NJHA entered into an agreement with the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) for the prompt, coordinated construction of connecting links. The agreement was formally signed on February 1 by NJHA Chairwoman Katharine E. White and NYSTA Chairman Bertram D. Tallamy. Groundbreaking for this extension began on May 1, 1956. Unlike previous segments of the roadway, this one uses prestressed concrete for overpasses; this was different from the earlier segments. It was originally proposed as part of a northern extension of the unbuilt 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. Approximately 9 miles (14 km) in length, the extension was planned to run north through the Bergen County municipalities of Paramus, Washington Township, Hillsdale, Woodcliff Lake, and Montvale to the state line, where the parkway would meet with a connecting spur from the mainline of the New York State Thruway. Part of the extension to Chestnut Ridge opened on July 3, 1957, and the Thruway's Garden State Parkway Connector opened on August 29 that year. In only 36 hours, the extension reported 8,000 drivers.

Later history

20th century

Garden State Parkway southbound approaching exit 154 with US 46 in Clifton

In December 1957, D. Louis Tonti, the executive director of the NJHA, announced plans to construct the missing ramps at exit 154 in Clifton. These ramps would connect drivers from US 46 eastbound to the parkway northbound, and from the parkway southbound to US 46 westbound. In May 1958, the project bid went to Thomas Nichol Company, Inc. of Farmingdale, and construction began immediately. The new ramps opened in December, and the toll booths on the ramps opened the following month. The total cost of the project was $2.25 million, which was half a million higher than the original estimate. During 1959, traffic counts noted 1.5 million cars used the new ramps at exit 154.

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.

Garden State Parkway northbound at exit 114 in Middletown Township

In June 1961, the Highway Authority announced plans to construct a new interchange at Red Hill Road in the Holmdel–Middletown area. This new interchange would help relieve local congestion with the opening of Bell Labs and more industrial parks in the area. As part of the plan, the ramp at exit 116 would be closed to non-emergency automobile traffic, despite disapproval from locals. On December 14, the Highway Authority made an appropriation of $50,000 for the engineering work for the new interchange. Construction began in July 1962, and it was completed by December.

In May 1962, construction started on a widening from exit 154 to just near exit 158. As part of this, the Passaic River Bridge was also reconstructed with a wider superstructure and piers, and the Bergen Toll Plaza was also reconstructed to have dedicated canopies in each direction. The project was completed by the end of 1963. Also in May 1962, plans were announced for construction of a new exit 159. This interchange would serve I-80 with direct connections, as well as Midland Avenue with indirect connections. In preparation of this, exit 158 was permanently closed in early 1963. On December 23 of that year, the ramps onto Midland Avenue from exit 159 were opened to traffic. Tolling of the interchange began immediately. However, the ramps to and from I-80 would not open until October 20, 1964. The project cost a total of $4,500,000. By November 1964, the northbound exit ramp and southbound entrance ramp at exit 157 had been permanently closed to encourage use of the interchange.

On June 18, 1963, a meeting was held between the NJHA board and senator Charles W. Sandman Jr. They discussed the problems associated with exit 12, a northbound-only ramp that traveled at-grade across the southbound lanes; it had been referred to as a “serious hazard” by the committee. After an agreement had been settled on, it was permanently closed on July 2 of that year, with all traffic that previously utilized it being redirected to exit 13, only 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the north.

On July 31, 1964, two related projects were completed on the parkway. A $800,000,000 project to construct exit 38 was completed; it served as a connection to the Atlantic City Expressway. The Delaware River and Bay Authority also completed a $420,000 project to reconstruct exit 0, with the intersecting roadway being widened from two lanes to four lanes; as such, all of the other ramps in the area were widened to match.

Garden State Parkway and US 9 northbound in Upper Township

On March 8, 1965, exit 30 was closed for an extensive rebuild. Also as part of this project, the Great Egg and Cape May toll plazas were reconstructed to have dedicated canopies for each direction. Work on this project was competed by on July 15, exit 30 reopened as a southbound entrance and northbound exit; the lanes that were not closed had also been made wider. Immediately after this, work then began on reconstructing exit 29 into a incomplete grade-separated interchange; it reopened later that year, at which point tolls were instituted on exit 30.

In December 1965, plans were announced to rebuild exit 144 and eliminate exit 146; both of the original incomplete interchanges were permanently closed to traffic in late 1965. On January 12, 1966, the local ramps onto the new exit 144 were opened to traffic, though the ramps onto I-280 remained barricaded off while the highway was still under construction. On October 13, 1967, the I-280 segment and its ramps were fully opened, completing the project.

In May 1966, the borough of Paramus and the NJHA agreed to a complete replacement of exit 165 (Ridgewood Avenue) to improve safety and capacity. The project, costing $3.7 million (equivalent to $26.5 million in 2023), would expand the two-ramp interchange to eight ramps, creating a collector-distributor road to serve both ramps. 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, and the tolls went into effect on February 13. On January 6, 1967, exit 166 was closed to reduce congestion on local roads. By September, it had been forcibly reopened after a gag order was secured to prevent local authorities from affecting parkway operations. A park and ride lot was constructed there that year.

When the parkway was opened through Clifton in 1955, a spur was supposed to open south of its exit to Broad Street as exit 155P. However, by 1965, no other construction had occurred, and the parkway's spur had been canceled. Because of this, in 1967, work began on a project to construct the remaining ramps at exit 155P (now exit 155A); instead of serving as a spur of the parkway, they would serve Route 20 (now Route 19) instead. The ramps were opened to traffic on October 20, 1969.

Garden State Parkway in the 1970s

In early 1967, the parkway was expanded from four to six lanes between the Bergen Toll Plaza in Saddle Brook and the interchange with Route 4 in Paramus. The following year, the road was expanded to six lanes between Route 17 and Ridgewood Avenue/Oradell Avenue, and in 1969, the section between Route 4 and Route 17 was widened. This widening made the entire 80-mile (130 km) stretch from Ocean County to Paramus at least six lanes wide.

A further expansion project begun at the end of that decade to expand the parkway from the New Jersey Turnpike through Monmouth County. The first stage of this project opened on September 18, 1969, when most of a new interchange between the parkway and the turnpike opened, replacing both exits 10 and 11 of the turnpike. On November 24, 1970, southbound parkway traffic from there south to the Raritan River was redirected onto a new roadway that lied in the median of the old parkway, while the old lanes became part of US 9; the same switch occurred northbound on August 17, 1971. A new span across the Raritan River opened on September 2 that year. In 1972, the dualization of the Great Egg Harbor Bridge and related reconstruction of the surrounding roadway eliminated the final two lane segment of the parkway. South of the Raritan River, new express roadways, two lanes wide each direction, were placed in the median of the existing highway, opening to Keyport on July 3, 1974, then to Tinton Falls on August 2.

In May 1973, exit 98 was opened to northbound traffic. On July 3, 1973, the southbound exit 98 opened, completing the project. This exit replaced the existing exits 96, 97, and 97A, with the new exit featuring a right-hand collector-distributor roadway and replacing the tightly spaced cloverleafs that existed before. These new ramps served what is now I-195 and Route 138 and used safer right hand collector-distributor roads to carry traffic onto the link that had always existed to Route 34.

The parkway was planned to be the southern terminus of the unbuilt Driscoll Expressway, a 38-mile (61 km) toll road that was planned in the early 1970s 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 planned route of the highway ran through too many wetland areas. The idea has since been revisited after frequent traffic jams on Route 47.

In 1979, proposals for an exit at milepost 124 were made; in 1980 construction of this interchange became a priority. In March of that year, a firm had been hired to construct this new interchange. On October 23, 1982, this exit, numbered as exit 124, was partially opened to traffic. Later, on November 19, the final part of the ramp was completed.

In November 1980, the road was widened from three to four lanes between exits 129 and 141. The new lanes were originally high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes that were restricted to vehicles with three or more occupants, though this was later lowered to two or more occupants in June 1981. They were converted into general use lanes in 1982 after almost universal criticism.

In 1987, the NJHA purchased the approximately 19 miles (31 km) of road that had been constructed by the New Jersey State Highway Department (now NJDOT). These three toll-free sections are located in Cape May County (between exits 6 and exits 12), Ocean County (between exit 80 and exit 83) and Middlesex and Union counties (between exit 129 and exit 140). NJDOT sold the sections for one dollar on the premise that tolls would never be charged on them.

In 1997, plans for a ramp from the parkway southbound onto I-80 eastbound were announced. Also as part of this project, the overpass carrying Midland Avenue traffic over the parkway was reconstructed, and traffic signals were installed at the parkway exits with it. Work on this project was completed in January 1998.

On April 1, 1998, a project to construct a new northbound on-ramp from Lomell Lane to the northbound lanes at exit 83 was completed, the exit ramp's deceleration lane was also reconstructed to be longer. Later that year, a traffic signal was installed at exit 81, in addition to other safety improvements.

21st century

In April 2001, a project to reconstruct exit 80 was competed. Also as part of this project, the overpass carrying traffic over Dover Road was widened.

Garden State Parkway northbound approaching the Driscoll Bridge in 2002, before the southbound span was built

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 (NJTA), 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.

Flyover ramp from the GSP northbound to I-78 westbound, opened in 2009

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 (which would have connected northbound parkway traffic with I-78 westbound) and Route 75 (which would have connected southbound parkway traffic with I-78 eastbound via I-280). In April 2008, NJDOT 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.

In April 2011, New Jersey Transportation Commissioner James Simpson announced the NJTA was considering 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 not accommodate trucks on this segment.

In 2012, an improvement of the southbound exit 105 offramp from the local lanes was proposed. It involved replacing the single-lane ramp which provided access to Route 36 with a new one. This ramp would have two lanes and a wider shoulder, and would also provide access to Route 18 via Wayside Road. Construction on the general project started in 2016, and the ramp was built by 2017.

Former traffic light at exit 9 (Shell Bay Avenue) before construction of overpass in 2014

As originally built, in Cape May County, the parkway had three traffic lights (at exits 9, 10, and 11), but these were eliminated in 2014 and 2015, with construction of three overpasses in Cape May Court House. 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 could be linked with an existing path leading to Ocean City. In March 2020, NJDOT announced that the path was set to open on May 6, but it did not open until July 8.

On July 22, 2014, the NJTA 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 April 2016, a project to reconstruct exit 125 into a full interchange commenced. A new southbound exit would be tolled and made exclusively for E-ZPass users; no toll would be added to the new northbound entrance. Also involved in this project was the replacement of the bridge that carried the parkway over Chevalier Avenue with a wider structure, improving the northbound exit ramp with a new alternate ramp onto Main Street, and constructing a new southbound entrance ramp and demolishing the existing one–this would provide greater access to a new shopping mall in the vicinity that is yet to be completed. This project was completed in February 2020.

In June 2018, an improvement project began at the interchange with I-280 and CR 508 (Central Avenue). The project involved widening the entrance ramp to the parkway southbound from one to two lanes and adding a second deceleration lane on the parkway northbound. The toll plaza on the northbound exit ramp was removed as part of the project. To accommodate the wider roadway, the overpass carrying Central Avenue over the parkway was rebuilt. Five nearby bridges were also rehabilitated as part of the project. The project cost approximately $63 million and was completed in August 2022.

In 2018, a improvement project to exit 109 northbound in Lincroft was commenced. The project involved constructing a new ramp to directly allow access to the Lincroft park and ride from the parkway and vice versa, as well as the demolition of the previous U-turn ramp and addition of a turn signal on CR 520. Improvements were also made to the ramps onto the parkway from CR 520. These include a ramp and overpass being built on Newman Springs Road eastbound, the addition of a traffic signal at Schulz Drive, the removal of the U-turn ramp to Half Mile Road, and the addition of a left turn signal at the junction.

In 2020, a project that involved making multiple improvements between mileposts 140 and 143 was commenced. It involves repaving the road, adding new lighting, and adding new median barriers. It also retrofits multiple bridges, including two that carry traffic over US 22 and one that carries traffic over Route 82.

Southbound approaching exit 30 in Somers Point

The NJTA 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.

On March 24, 2020, the NJTA temporarily suspended cash toll collection because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drivers without E-ZPass transponders had their license plates photographed at the toll plazas and were sent bills in the mail. Cash collection resumed on May 19 of that year.

In March 2022, exit 105 was closed in multiple stages so that five bridges over the northbound lanes, built in the 1970s, could be replaced. The project was completed in late 2023.

On February 23, 2024, the overpass carrying exit 156 was permanently closed to traffic, this was because the ramp had deteriorated beyond repair. Also as part of this project, a retaining wall will be constructed in order to minimize disruption to local communities. Its replacement is expected to open on July 15. This is part of a greater project to reconstruct the Passaic River Bridge, it is considered obsolete and does not meet the higher standards of the NJTA. Work on that part of the project is scheduled for competition in 2025.

Tolls

Southbound at the Great Egg Toll Plaza

Toll plaza on the southbound entrance ramp at exit 165

The Garden State Parkway uses an open system of tolling in which flat-rate tolls are collected at numerous toll plazas placed along the mainline and at certain interchanges. This contrasts with the New Jersey Turnpike, which uses a closed system in which 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. Tolls can be paid by using cash or the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system.

As of March 1, 2024, the standard car toll is $1.10 for cash and $1.05 for E-ZPass on the main road at two-way toll plazas and $2.20 for cash and $2.09 for E-ZPass at one-way toll plazas. Some entrances and exits require a toll of either $0.80, $1.10, $1.55, or $2.20 for cash and $0.73, $1.05, $1.45, or $2.09 for E-ZPass. Additional E-ZPass discounts are available for off-peak travel, senior citizens, drivers of green vehicles, and trailers.

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; historically, these lanes also accepted tokens. Payment of tolls in exact-change lanes has been enforced by photo since 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. As of 2018, exact-change lanes are only used for exit and entrance ramp toll plazas.

The third type of lane is dedicated for vehicles with E-ZPass tags. Some plazas also feature Express E-ZPass lanes, allowing drivers to bypass the toll plaza at highway speeds. E-ZPass is also accepted in full-service lanes.

Garden State Parkway tokens, which were discontinued after January 1, 2009

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 $0.25 at the time, most drivers continued to use quarters. However, when the toll was increased to $0.35 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.

Historical picture of a Garden State Parkway toll plaza

E-ZPass was first installed at the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza in December 1999, and the system was expanded across the entire road by August 2000. To reduce congestion, 10 of the 11 toll plazas on the roadway were converted into one-way plazas between 2004 and 2010. 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), Essex (in Bloomfield), Bergen (in Saddle Brook), and Pascack Valley (in Washington Township) toll plazas were among these. The tolls at these plazas were doubled upon conversion. The Toms River Toll Plaza (in Toms River) is the only location on the parkway mainline where a toll is still collected in both directions.

On September 27, 2022, the NJTA awarded a $914 million contract to TransCore to convert the parkway into an all-electronic toll road, eliminating the toll booths in the process. Although the agreement has been made, the NJTA has no set date on when the conversion will be completed.

Services

Service areas

Northbound exit for the Celia Cruz Service Area (formerly Forked River at the time of photo seen here)

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

Name	Location	mi	km	Direction	Facilities	Notes
Bruce Willis (formerly Ocean View)	Dennis Township	18.3	29.5	Both	Convenience store, restrooms, fuel, vending machines, and tourist information	Rebuilt from 2013 to spring/summer 2014
Frank Sinatra (formerly Atlantic)	Galloway Township	41.4	66.6	Both	Food, restrooms, fuel, and information	Rebuilt from 2014 to spring 2015
Celia Cruz (formerly Forked River)	Lacey Township	76.0	122.3	Both	Food, restrooms, and fuel	Rebuilt from fall 2019 to summer 2020
Judy Blume (formerly Monmouth)	Wall Township	100.4	161.6	Both	Food, restrooms, and fuel	Rebuilt from fall 2018 to spring 2019
Jon Bon Jovi (formerly Cheesequake)	Sayreville	124.0	199.6	Both	Food, restrooms, and fuel
Colonia South	Woodbridge	132.79	213.70	Southbound	Fuel, convenience stores, and restrooms	Not operated by NJTA
Colonia North		133.45	214.77	Northbound	Fuel, convenience stores, and restrooms	Not operated by NJTA
Whitney Houston (formerly Vaux Hall)	Union	142.0	228.5	Northbound	Food, restrooms and fuel
Connie Chung (formerly Brookdale South)	Bloomfield	153.3	246.7	Southbound	Food, restrooms and fuel
Larry Doby (formerly Brookdale North)		153	246	Northbound	Fuel and convenience store	Rebuilt in 2019
James Gandolfini (formerly Montvale)	Montvale	171	275	Both	Food, restrooms, fuel, and information

Assurance sign to the Bruce Willis Service Area (formerly Ocean View at the time of photo seen here)

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 (Absecon at the time) and Ocean View (Seaville at the time) 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.

On July 27, 2021, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority unanimously voted in favor of renaming the service areas along the Garden State Parkway after New Jerseyans who were inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The Ocean View service area was originally slated to be named after Toni Morrison, but the NJTA never received written consents and releases; this prompted the New Jersey Hall of Fame to request the service area be named after Bruce Willis instead.

On January 2, 2022, two service areas that were operated by McDonald's in Brookdale and Union were closed after their contract expired in 2021. These services areas were replaced in 2023.

Picnic areas

The John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly picnic area

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 in Upper Township, 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	22.7 miles (36.5 km)	Both	October 20, 1965	–	The newest of the picnic areas, it is currently the only one in operation. John B. Townsend was a physician from Ocean City who became the NJHA'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	61.6 miles (99.1 km)	Both	May 27, 1955	1990s
Oyster Creek	Lacey Township	71.3 miles (114.7 km)	Both	May 27, 1955	1980s	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	79.0 miles (127.1 km)	Southbound	June 1955	February 23, 1961	The NJHA chose to abandon the picnic area after only five years of use. This was due to the outbreak of mosquitoes from a nearby cranberry bog.
Polhemus Creek	Brick Township	82.0 miles (132.0 km)	Northbound	June 4, 1955	1980s–1990s
Herbertsville	Wall Township	94.65 miles (152.32 km)	Southbound	May 27, 1955	1980s	Converted to a maintenance yard of the same name and heavy vehicle weigh station.
Telegraph Hill	Holmdel Township	115.85 miles (186.44 km)	Both	April 24, 1957	2010s	The picnic area was off exit 116, next to the PNC Bank Arts Center.
Glenside	Woodbridge Township	130.2 miles (209.5 km)	Southbound	November 1, 1950	October 23, 1987	Closed due to illegal use for sex and drugs
Madison Hill	Woodbridge Township	134.9 miles (217.1 km)	Northbound	November 1, 1950	1980s–1990s	Madison Hill was an overlook constructed as part of the original Route 4 Parkway.
Tall Oaks	Cranford	137.0 miles (220.5 km)	Southbound	June 29, 1950	July 1988	Closed due to illegal use for sex and drugs; converted to maintenance yard

Emergency assistance

On the Garden State Parkway, the emergency assistance number is #GSP, which is #477 in number form. Towing and roadside assistance are provided from authorized garages. The New Jersey State Police is the primary police agency that handles calls for service on the parkway. New Jersey State Police Troop D serves the Garden State Parkway, with stations in Galloway, Holmdel, and Bloomfield. 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

The parkway was the first highway in the United States to use mileage-based exit numbers. 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.

County	Location	mi	km	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
Cape May	Lower Township	0.00	0.00		–	Route 109 south – Cape May	Southern terminus; at-grade intersection
					0	Route 109 north to US 9 – North Cape May	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; to Cape May–Lewes Ferry
	Middle Township	3.90	6.28		4	Route 47 – The Wildwoods, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Rio Grande	Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 4A (south) and 4B (north) southbound; The Wildwoods signed northbound; Wildwood and Wildwood Crest signed southbound
		6.54	10.53		6	Route 147 – North Wildwood, Whitesboro	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		8.40	13.52		9	Shell Bay Avenue (CR 674) to US 9
		9.90	15.93		10	Cape May Court House, Stone Harbor	Access via CR 657
		11.04	17.77		11	Crest Haven Road (CR 609) to US 9	Serves Cape May County Park & Zoo
		11.80	18.99		12	US 9	Southbound entrance
		13.60	21.89		13	To US 9 – Swainton, Avalon	Access via CR 601; southbound left entrance
	Dennis Township	17.50	28.16		17	Sea Isle City, Dennis Township	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 625
	Upper Township	19.38	31.19	Cape May Toll Plaza (northbound)
		20.25	32.59		20	US 9 / Route 50 north – Upper Township	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; southern terminus of Route 50
		25.34	40.78		25	US 9 south – Ocean City	Southern terminus of US 9 concurrency; access via CR 623; serves Corson's Inlet State Park
Great Egg Harbor Bay		27.77	44.69	Great Egg Harbor Bridge
Atlantic	Somers Point	28.78	46.32	Great Egg Toll Plaza (southbound)
		28.90	46.51		29	US 9 north – Somers Point, Ocean City	Northern terminus of US 9 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		30.00	48.28		30	Somers Point, Ocean City	Southbound exit (tolled) and northbound entrance; access via West Laurel Drive
	Egg Harbor Township	35.82	57.65		36	US 40 / US 322 – Northfield, Pleasantville	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR 563 and CR 651
		36.08	58.07			CR 563 south – Northfield, Margate City	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		36.28	58.39		–	US 40 west / US 322 west	Northbound entrance only
		36.59	58.89		37	To US 40 / US 322 – Pleasantville	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 608; to CR 563 north
		37.23	59.92		38	A.C. Expressway – Atlantic City, Camden	Signed as exits 38A (east) and 38B (west); former eastern terminus of Atlantic City Expressway; exits 7N-S (A.C. Expressway)
	Galloway Township	40.04	64.44		40	US 30 east – Absecon, Atlantic City	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		41.70	67.11		41	CR 561 – Galloway, Pomona	Serves Stockton University
		43.98	70.78		44	CR 575 / CR 561 Alt. – Pomona, Port Republic, Smithville	Serves Stockton University
	Port Republic	48.29	77.72		48	US 9 south – Port Republic, Smithville	Southern terminus of US 9 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
Burlington	Bass River Township	50.67	81.55		50	US 9 north – New Gretna, Tuckerton	Northern terminus of US 9 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		52.70	84.81		52	New Gretna	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 654
		53.54	86.16	New Gretna Toll Plaza (northbound)
Ocean	Little Egg Harbor Township	58.69	94.45		58	CR 539 – Little Egg Harbor, Tuckerton, Whiting
	Stafford Township	64.11	103.18		63	Route 72 – Long Beach Island, Pemberton	Signed as exits 63A (east) and 63B (west) northbound
	Barnegat Township	67.81	109.13		67	CR 554 – Barnegat, Pemberton	Signed as exits 67A (east) and 67B (west) southbound
		68.61	110.42	Barnegat Toll Plaza (southbound)
	Ocean Township	70.45	113.38		69	CR 532 – Waretown	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Lacey Township	75.34	121.25		74	Forked River	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 614
	Berkeley Township	77.40	124.56		77	Berkeley	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 618/CR 619
	South Toms River	80.85	130.12		80	US 9 / CR 619 south / CR 530 – Beachwood, South Toms River	Southern terminus of US 9 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Toms River	81.85	131.72		81	CR 527 (Lakehurst Road) – Toms River
		82.35	132.53		82	Route 37 – Seaside Heights, Lakehurst	Signed as exits 82 (east) and 82A (west); serves Island Beach State Park
		84.10	135.35		83	US 9 north / CR 571 / Route 166 south – Lakewood	Northern terminus of US 9 concurrency; no southbound exit
		84.72	136.34	Toms River Toll Plaza
	Lakewood Township	89.36	143.81	88	89A	Route 70 – Lakehurst, Brick, Point Pleasant	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 89A (east) and 89B (west) southbound
		90.18	145.13		89B (NB) 89C (SB)	CR 528 – Lakewood	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Brick Township	91.10	146.61		90	CR 549 south – Brick	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		92.62	149.06		91	CR 549 – Lakewood, Brick, Herbertsville, Point Pleasant	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 91B (south) and 91A (north) southbound
Monmouth	Wall Township	98.23	158.09	96-97A	98	I-195 west / Route 138 east / Route 34 – Belmar, Trenton	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; exit 36 (Route 138)
	Tinton Falls	101.24	162.93	100	100A	Route 33 east – Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach	Bradley Beach not signed southbound
		101.49	163.33	100A	100B	Route 66 east – Asbury Park	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		101.74	163.73	100A (SB) 100B (NB)	100B (SB) 100C (NB)	Route 33 west – Freehold
		103.15	166.00		102	Neptune, Asbury Park	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 16
		103.96	167.31	Asbury Park Toll Plaza (northbound)
		104.20	167.69	South end of the local-express lanes split
		106.12– 106.39	170.78– 171.22		105	Route 18 / Route 36 north – New Brunswick, Eatontown, Long Branch, Tinton Falls	Tolled northbound entrance; southbound exit and northbound entrance from express and local lanes; no northbound access to Route 18 south; no commercial vehicles north of this exit; Exit 15A (Route 18); New Brunswick signed northbound only; Tinton Falls signed southbound only
	Middletown Township	110.14	177.25		109	CR 520 – Red Bank, Lincroft	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Middletown–Holmdel township line	113.88	183.27		114	Holmdel, Middletown	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 52;
	Holmdel Township	115.85	186.44		116	PNC Bank Arts Center	Exit number only signed at gore; to New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial
		117.00	188.29	Crossover ramps between the express and the local lanes
	Hazlet	118.50	190.71		117	Route 35 / Route 36 south – Hazlet, Keyport	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; southbound exit and northbound entrance from express lanes
	Aberdeen Township	118.79	191.17	117A	118	Aberdeen	Access via CR 3; southbound exit (tolled) and entrance
Middlesex	Old Bridge Township	121.13	194.94		120	Laurence Harbor, Matawan	Access via CR 626; to Cheesequake State Park
	Sayreville	124.64	200.59		123	US 9 south – Sayreville, Old Bridge	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		124.99	201.15		124	Main Street (CR 670)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		125.28	201.62	North end of the local-express lanes split
		125.68	202.26	Raritan Toll Plaza (southbound)
		126.36	203.36		125	US 9 south / Route 35 – Sayreville, South Amboy Chevalier Avenue	E-ZPass-only toll for southbound exit; US 9 and Route 35 signed northbound; Chevalier Avenue signed southbound
	Raritan River	127.33	204.92	Driscoll Bridge
	Woodbridge Township	128.22	206.35	127A	127	US 9 north / Route 440 to I-287 – Woodbridge, Staten Island	Signed as exit 129 southbound; southbound exit via New Brunswick Avenue
		129.50	208.41	128	129	I-95 / N.J. Turnpike – New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia	Exit 11 (I-95/NJ Turnpike); Trenton signed northbound; Philadelphia signed southbound
		129.50	208.41			US 9 / Route 440 to I-287 – Woodbridge, Perth Amboy	Southbound exit only; northbound access is via exit 127
		130.63	210.23		130	US 1 – Trenton, Newark	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 130A (north) and 130B (south)
		131.33	211.36		131A	Wood Avenue South (CR 649)	Signed as exit 131 southbound
		131.83	212.16		131B	Metropark	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR 657
		131.97	212.39	131	132	Route 27 – Iselin, Metuchen
Union	Clark	136.22	219.22		135	Clark, Westfield	Access via CR 613
	Cranford	137.59	221.43		136	Linden, Roselle	Access via CR 607/CR 615
		138.74	223.28		137	Route 28 – Roselle Park, Elizabeth, Cranford	Elizabeth signed northbound; Roselle Park signed southbound
	Kenilworth	140.34	225.86		138	CR 509 – Kenilworth
	Union Township	141.10	227.08		139A	Roselle Park	Northbound exit and entrance; access via CR 619
		141.26	227.34	139B (NB) 140 (SB)	139B (NB) 140A (SB)	Route 82 west – Union	Route 82 not signed northbound
		141.70	228.04	140A	140B	US 22 / Route 82 east – Elizabeth, Somerville, Hillside	Signed as exit 140 northbound; Elizabeth and Somerville signed southbound; Hillside signed northbound
		142.10	228.69		141	Vauxhall Road (CR 630)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Hillside	142.66	229.59	Union Toll Plaza (northbound)
		142.80– 142.90	229.81– 229.98		142A–B	I-78 to N.J. Turnpike – Springfield, Newark Airport, Newark	Tolled northbound entrance; signed as exits 142A (east) and 142B (west); exit 52 (I-78); to Holland Tunnel
		143.00	230.14	142A	142C	Maplewood	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via North Union Avenue
Essex	Irvington	144.0	231.7		143	To Route 124 – Irvington, Maplewood, Hillside	Access via CR 602 and CR 603; signed as exits 143A (Hillside), 143B (Maplewood) and 143C (Route 124) southbound
		145.98	234.93		144	CR 510 (South Orange Avenue)	Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
	East Orange	146.93– 147.15	236.46– 236.81	145–145A	145	I-280 / CR 508 – Newark, The Oranges	Tolled southbound entrance; exit 12B (I-280)
				146		Springdale Avenue – East Orange, Newark Area	Former northbound exit and southbound entrance; closed January 12, 1966
		148.44	238.89		147	East Orange	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via Springdale Avenue
	Bloomfield	149.2	240.1		148	CR 506 Spur / CR 509 – Bloomfield, Glen Ridge	Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance; Glen Ridge not signed southbound
		150.22	241.76	148A	149	CR 506 – Glen Ridge, Belleville	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		150.66	242.46	Essex Toll Plaza (southbound)
		151.1	243.2	149A	150	Hoover Avenue (CR 651)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		152.45	245.34		151	Montclair, Nutley	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 655
Passaic	Clifton	154.06– 154.45	247.94– 248.56		153	Route 3 to US 46 west – Secaucus, Wayne	Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 153A (east) and 153B (west) northbound; no southbound access to Route 3 west; to Meadowlands Sports Complex and Lincoln Tunnel
		155.91	250.91		154	US 46 east – Clifton	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
						US 46 west – Clifton	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		156.4	251.7	155P	155A	Route 19 to I-80 west – Paterson	Northbound left exit and southbound entrance
		156.68	252.15	155	155B	Passaic	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR 702
		158.19	254.58		156	Route 20 north – Elmwood Park	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via US 46
Bergen	Elmwood Park	158.87	255.68		157	US 46 east – Garfield	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
						US 46 west to Route 20 – Garfield	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Saddle Brook	160– 160.35	260– 258.06	158	159	I-80 – Saddle Brook, Paterson, George Washington Bridge	No northbound access to I-80 west; tolled northbound exit; Paterson signed southbound; George Washington Bridge signed northbound; exit 62A (I-80); access to CR 67
		160.46	258.24	Bergen Toll Plaza (northbound)
	Paramus	161.53	259.96		160	To Route 208 – Fair Lawn, Hackensack	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR 62; to Route 4 west
		161.88	260.52		161	Route 4 east – Paramus	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		163.06	262.42		163	Route 17 south to Route 4 – Paramus, George Washington Bridge	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; to Meadowlands Sports Complex
		163.29	262.79			Route 17 north – Mahwah	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		164.94	265.45		165	Ridgewood, Oradell	Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR 80; signed as exits 165A (Oradell) and 165B (Ridgewood)
		165.93	267.04		166	Washington, Westwood	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via CR 110
	Washington Township	166.25	267.55	Pascack Valley Toll Plaza (southbound)
		167.46	269.50		168	CR 502 – Washington, Westwood	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Woodcliff Lake	170.15	273.83		171	Woodcliff Lake, Saddle River	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR S73
	Montvale	171.52	276.03		172	Montvale, Park Ridge	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via CR 94
		172.40	277.45		–	To I-87 / I-287 / New York Thruway – Albany, New York City	Northern terminus; continuation into New York; access via Garden State Parkway Connector
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access        Tolled

See also

• List of toll roads in the United States

External links

• New Jersey Turnpike Authority & Garden State Parkway Official Website
• History of the Garden State Parkway
• "NJ Route 444" (PDF). (2.82 MB) Straight Line Diagram
• Photos of the Garden State Parkway
• New Jersey Expressways and Tollways
• Garden State Parkway (NJ 444) (Greater New York Roads)