Say Goodbye, Brick; Parkway Exit 88 Closes Forever Tonight

(PHOTO: Traffic moves north on the Garden State Parkway through the construction zone. To the right, a new access road from Exit 89 parallels the highway, part of the work to remove Exit 88, which is closing forever as of tonight. Credit: Karen Wall)

If you’ve lived in the southern portion of Brick for very long, you know what it’s like to get on the Garden State Parkway northbound at Exit 88: a challenge, and in rush-hour traffic, a nightmare.

Chances are, you got stuck in traffic at some point getting off the Parkway southbound there.

As of 7 tonight, you’ll no longer be able access the Parkway there at all, according to an article on 943ThePoint.com.

As part of the ongoing work to widen the Parkway and between Toms River and Wall, Exit 88 is being removed completely. The work begins tonight after rush hour and is expected to be finished by tomorrow morning.

Drivers seeking to get to Route 70 will be directed onto a service road from exit 89, and signs will be in place as well. There is a toll to exit at 89, just as there was at 88 -- 50 cents.

How do you feel about the closure? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.