Forked River Service Plaza To Close For Months

LACEY, NJ — The Forked River Service Plaza will close for construction in September, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. A new facility is scheduled to open in the area by Memorial Day.

The entire area will be closed to the public, including shops, gas, restrooms, commuter parking and oversized parking. That leaves a major void for rest stops not only in Lacey but for New Jersey. The nearest Garden State Parkway rest stops are Monmouth (24 miles north) and Atlantic (34.6 miles south).

The Forked River Service Plaza currently has a Starbucks, Burger King, Hershey's Ice Cream and David's Cookies, Sbarro, and Auntie Anne's, as far as eateries. The rest stop also has a gift shop, Sunoco gas station, ATM and fax machine.

If you park in the lot to catch an Academy bus to New York, the nearest Academy pickup will be at Interchange 91 in Brick on the northbound side of the Parkway.

The Forked River plaza is one of 16 rest stops on the Garden State Parkways that will be rebuilt or remodeled. The Monmouth Service Area was the first completed last spring. The rebuilds and renovations stem from an agreement between the NJTA and its area operators — HMS Host and Sunoco.

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