Downed Utility Pole, Wires Close Route 37 In Toms River

Garden State Parkway traffic was blocked from the exit for Route 37 west, witnesses said.

By Karen Wall, Patch Staff

Sep 25, 2026 4:25 PM EDT

Traffic was completely blocked westbound on Route 37 and eastbound traffic has been interrupted intermittently by downed wires and a utility pole, according to 511nj.org. (511nj.org)

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Traffic is shut down on Route 37 westbound on Friday afternoon after a utility pole and wires came down on the road.

Information on what brought the pole down was not immediately available.

There was no word on injuries.

The closure was snarling traffic on the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway, as drivers were blocked from Exit 82A to go west on Route 37.

Traffic also was stopped intermittently on the eastbound side of Route 37, though it wasn't entirely clear from the NJ Department of Transportation's video feed what was prompting the closure.

Eastbound traffic on Route 37 was getting by in one lane as of 4:20 p.m.

Traffic was stopped in both directions near the Garden State Parkway exit ramp onto Route 37 east. (511nj.org)

The downed light pole can be seen lying in the road where the exit ramp from the southbound Garden State Parkway merges onto Route 37 westbound. (511nj.org)

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