Major Changes Coming To Exit 109 Off Garden State Parkway

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Major changes are coming to Exit 109 (Red Bank/Lincroft) off the Garden State Parkway at Newman Springs Road in Middletown.

Construction will begin this summer 2018 to completely overhaul Exit 109, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority announced. (The NJ Turnpike Authority runs the Parkway.) The entire project should be done by August 2019, the Authority says.

Right now, there are serious traffic delays exiting northbound onto Newman Springs Road, and oftentimes the traffic backs up onto the Parkway.

"The primary issues which will be addressed are eliminating vehicular traffic queues that currently extend onto the Garden State Parkway northbound and improving the flow of traffic by eliminating the merge/weave condition," the Turnpike Authority wrote on this handout detailing the changes.

The improvements include eliminating the existing eastbound jug handle at Half Mile Road and constructing an eastbound entrance loop ramp and bridge over Newman Springs Road to the northbound Parkway. The changes will also include:

• Separation of the Newman Springs Road EB to GSP NB entrance ramp movement from the GSP NB exit ramp traffic by constructing a new entrance loop ramp and bridge over Newman Springs Road east of the existing GSP bridges.

• Signalization of the Newman Springs Road intersection with Schulz Drive West, which will include the relocation of the GSP NB exit left turn to Newman Springs Road WB to this intersection.
• Reconfiguration of the Newman Springs Road intersection with Half Mile Road to accommodate the Newman Springs Road EB left turn to Half Mile Road movement.
• Conversion of the Half Mile Road SB left lane at Newman Springs Road from a shared right/left to a left turn only lane.
• Minor widening of Schulz Drive West between Newman Springs Road and the GSP NB entrance ramp from Schulz Drive West to provide for a SB right turn onto Newman Springs Road WB.

The Turnpike Authority held a public hearing on the changes last Wednesday, Jan. 24 at the Middletown Public Library. Exit 109 will still be open as normal while the work takes place.