Traffic Update At Jersey Shore: Fall Fun Ahead For The Weekend

JERSEY SHORE, NJ — If you were thinking of heading to the shore this weekend because the summer crowds will be gone, you might want to plan carefully, as events scheduled will bring different challenges and traffic of their own.

The Friday evening commute should be the usual offseason traffic. Anticipate volume-related tieups in usual places — heading into the Toms River tolls, and points south — but those challenges shouldn't be extreme.

On Saturday, however, the Sea.Hear.Now festival begins its two-day extravaganza in Asbury Park. There are and will be road closures in place for the duration of the weekend. You can read more about it here: Sea.Hear.Now Festival To Take Over Asbury Park This Weekend

In Point Pleasant Beach, Arnold Avenue becomes a seafood lover's paradise on Saturday for the Festival of the Sea, which runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is followed by fireworks on the boardwalk. Point Pleasant Beach police are on hand to direct traffic on Route 35 to keep pedestrians safe during the event. If Route 35 is your route of choice to reach the beach areas in Point Pleasant Beach and points south, you may want to choose another path.

In Seaside Heights, the Que by the Sea barbecue and country music festival is Saturday and Sunday, and is scheduled run until 8 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday. That means Route 37 will have patches of traffic at various points from noon on both days.

Wildwood also is hosting a country music festival, though it begins Friday evening. The Boots at the Beach is scheduled to go until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday. The state Firemen's Convention and Parade and the Morey's Piers Octoberfest also are this weekend, so expect traffic in spurts through Sunday as a result.

The state Department of Transportation website, 511nj.org, has discontinued its Jersey Shore travel times list for the season, but traffic was flowing freely as of 2:30 p.m.

According to the Accuweather forecast for Toms River, Friday's overcast weather is expected to give way to partial sun but highs in the mid-80s and humid on Saturday, and highs in the upper 70s on Sunday.

Lifeguards are no longer on duty at nearly all beaches, and towns are warning people to stay out of the water because no one is monitoring for signs of swimmers in distress.

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