Parkway Exit 82 Is Going To Change; See The Plans At Hearing In Ocean County

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A public hearing is set for Wednesday on plans to change the configuration of the Garden State Parkway in the area from Toms River to Beachwood and South Toms River.

The project, which is in the final design stages and is expected to cost $509 million, has been under discussion for more than three years and aims to address congestion and high crash rates in the area from Interchange 80 to Interchange 83, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority has said.

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Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2027, the authority said.

The plan is to widen lanes and add new ramps along the 3.5-mile stretch from Toms River to Beachwood and South Toms River.

The improvements include adding a new southbound entrance ramp and northbound exit ramp at Interchange 80 to provide full access between the Parkway and the local roads, relocating the Interchange 81 southbound exit ramp, and adding collector-distributor roads northbound and southbound to improve access at Interchanges 81, 82, and 82A, the Turnpike Authority said.

"The improvements will also eliminate substandard weaving conditions, correct substandard geometry, and provide 12-foot left and right shoulders and travel lanes," the authority said.

The hearing is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ocean County Library at 101 Washington St. in Toms River. It starts with an open house at 6 p.m. and a presentation by officials with the Turnpike Authority starting at 6:30 p.m.

The proposed improvements are posted on the turnpike authority's website.

The NJ Turnpike Authority shared a description of the planned changes in a video in 2023.

The changes in particular would create separate lanes in the area of Exit 82 and 82A for Toms River and Seaside Heights. The lanes would separate traffic that is planning to exit in the area from traffic that is traveling through the area either to points south including Long Beach Island and Atlantic City, and points north including Brick, Monmouth County and North Jersey and New York.

There have been changes since the original proposal was revealed in 2023 because of the cancellation of projects in Toms River, but a spokesman for the Turnpike Authority said the elimination of those projects did not have a significant impact on the plans for the parkway reconfiguration.

The hearing on Wednesday will include an opportunity for public comment, and is being held in part because the project will require the removal of trees for the construction and reconfiguration of ramps and widening of the Parkway.

"The Project area from Milepost 78.8 to 84.5 includes 36 acres of forested land subject to the New Jersey No Net Loss Compensatory Reforestation Act and No Net Loss Compensatory Reforestation Program Guidelines. The area of disturbance is no larger than necessary to construct the Project, as the Authority has made every effort to reduce the impact to forested areas. The deforestation/reforestation plan will be available for review at the Public Hearing," the Turnpike Authority said.

The plans can be reviewed on the Turnpike Authority website.

People who cannot attend Wednesday's hearing can submit written comments through Oct. 1 by emailing them to HighwayDesign@njta.gov, or may be mailed by U.S. Postal Service to Vincent Mignella, 1 Turnpike Plaza, P.O. Box 5042 Woodbridge, NJ 07095.

The No Net Loss Reforestation Plan comments can be submitted to the same email address. The public comment period for that ends Nov. 15.