FORKED RIVER – The Forked River Rest Area on the Garden State Parkway has officially been closed for construction.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) recently announced the closure of three rest areas along the GSP for service area improvements, including Forked River. The rest area will remain closed until just before Memorial Day 2020.
According to Thomas Feeney of the NJTA, the entire service area building will be demolished and a new one will be built in its place.
“No services will be available during construction…no food, no restrooms, no fuel, no parking. There hasn’t been an announcement yet on what food options will be offered in the new facility,” said Feeney.
The Forked River Service Area closed on September 10, officially suspending all services. The area will also be off-limits to the public during construction.
If you regularly use this service area for food, fuel, or restrooms, the NJTA recommends using either the Monmouth Service Area to the north or Atlantic Service Area to the south.
For those who use the Forked River area for commuter parking to catch an Academy bus to New York, the NJTA adds that the nearest Academy lot on the GSP is the Buckelew lot at Interchange 91 in Brick, located on the northbound side of the parkway.
“I realize that these service area closures cause a temporary inconvenience for our customers, but as anyone who has visited one of our new facilities can tell you, it will be worth the wait,” said New Jersey Turnpike Authority Executive Director John M. Keller. “The new service area facilities are bright, comfortable places with the amenities you need to refresh and refuel during your travels.”
In addition to Forked River, service area improvements are being made at The Vince Lombardi Service Area on the Turnpike between the Eastern and Western Spurs in Ridgefield Borough; and The Richard Stockton Service Area on the southbound Turnpike in Hamilton between exits 7A and 7.
These changes are part of a $250 million capital improvements project underway by the NJTA. The project is replacing nine service areas and remodeling seven others without the use of toll-payer dollars.
“The Thomas Edison and Alexander Hamilton service areas on the Turnpike and the Monmouth Service Area on the Parkway have been completed so far. Monmouth reopened in May 2019, Edison in June 2019, and Hamilton in August 2019. In addition, a new convenience store with restroom facilities opened at the Brookdale North Service Area on the Garden State Parkway this summer. Brookdale North had been a fuel-only location,” according to NJTA.
For more information, visit njta.com.
