A beautiful day on the sand in Spring Lake
The day starts out with beautiful warm water, a cool breeze, and nice company at the beach in Spring Lake
Headed home from the Shore today? Check here before you leave for up to the minute traffic updates.
As we get into the evening hours, traffic doesn’t seem to be getting much better. Just before 5 p.m., a 14-mile backup was reported north of the Asbury Toll Plaza. There was also a 13-mile delay in Lakewood. The beautiful weather brought a lot of people to the Shore and many are headed back Sunday it appears.
If you’re en route from the Shore, you’re probably not going anywhere. Just after 4 p.m., there was a 13-mile delay reported on the parkway in Lakewood. This traffic backs up to Tinton Falls. There’s also a delay from North of Asbury Toll Plaza to Aberdeen. That backup is 14 miles. The biggest problem is volume as people continue to head back from the Shore after Fourth of July weekend.
Garden State Parkway backup keeps growing
At 2:20 p.m., pockets of volume were slowing traffic northbound across a 30-mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway. Traffic was heavy from the Celia Cruz Service Area in Lacey northward through the Asbury Toll Plaza in Tinton Falls, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Westbound traffic on Route 72 leaving Long Beach Island was building up on the approach to the Garden State Parkway in Stafford, and again at the Route 70 and 72 circle in Woodland Township, Burlington County.
Delays were also reported along Route 36 southbound near Sandy Hook and Highlands.
As of 2 p.m., a crash in the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway near Exit 100A in Wall Township was contributing to heavy, stop-and-go traffic through Monmouth County.
Heavy traffic was also reported in the northbound lanes from Exit 109 to 114 in Middletown, according the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Stop-and-go traffic was also delaying drivers between mile markers 88 and 90 in Brick.
The travel time between Exit 63 for Long Beach Island and the Raritan Toll Plaza was 1 hour 46 minutes for the 63-mile trip, according to the Turnpike Authority.
Drivers leaving the Jersey Shore on July 6 are facing a 25-mile delay on the Garden State Parkway as of 11:30 a.m. Shore traffic is stop-and-go from Exit 77 in Berkeley Township northward to mile marker 102 in Tinton Falls, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Additional delays are reported between Exit 109 and Exit 114 in Middletown.
The travel time from Exit 63 for Long Beach Island northbound to the Raritan Toll Plaza is 1 hour 48 minutes for the 63-mile trip, according to the Turnpike Authority.
Traffic along Route 36 near Sandy Hook remains slow as of late morning.
Drivers are also facing heavy traffic over the Route 37 bridge eastbound into Seaside Heights.
As of 10:30 a.m., Garden State Parkway traffic is already snarled northbound as Jersey Shore visitors head for home following the long holiday weekend.
State authorities reported 7 miles of stop-and-go traffic in the northbound lanes in portions of Ocean County, from Exit 77 in Berkeley Township to Exit 83 in Toms River.
Another 2-mile delay was reported in Monmouth County, north of Exit 98 in Wall Township.
Traffic was also slow northbound in Middletown, near Exit 109, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
As of 10:30 a.m., the travel time from the Long Beach Island north to the Raritan Toll Plaza was 1 hour 39 minutes for the 63-mile trip, according to traffic officials.
Local traffic delays were reported in Monmouth County throughout Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea, due to the closure of the Route 71 bridge over the Shark River. The bridge is closed indefinitely for emergency repairs. Traffic is being diverted to Route 35.
Route 36 was slow in Monmouth County approaching Sandy Hook. Route 36 through Long Branch and Eatontown was also heavy with traffic heading toward the ocean.
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 17 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.