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Holiday traffic is already swelling the main thoroughfare to the Jersey Shore as people rush to celebrate.
Southbound trips on the Garden State Parkway are growing in length.
Want to save time? Take the local lanes.
As of 11:15 a.m., it was taking 53 minutes to go from the Raritan Toll Plaza to Exit 98 for Belmar in the express lanes. The same trip in the local lanes was taking only 38 minutes, according to 511nj.org.
To LBI, the trip along the southbound express lanes of the Parkway from the Raritan Toll Plaza to Exit 63 was taking was taking an hour and 24 minutes in the express lanes, an hour and seven minutes in the local lanes.
A four-mile backup was reported at 12:30 p.m. on the express southbound lanes of the parkway from south of Exit 120 (Laurence Harbor) to south of Exit 116 (PNC Arts Center) due to volume. All lanes are open.
Parkway delays
As of 3:05 p.m., there are delays in the southbound Parkway local lanes from about Exit 116 at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel to about Exit 109 (Newman Springs Road) in Middletown, resulting in a six mile delay due to heavy volume, according to state transportation officials.
There are also delays, with stop and go traffic for 10 miles from about Exit 98 (Route 138) in Wall to Exit 89A (Route 70 East) in Lakewood.
Travel time to Long Beach Island
From the Raritan Toll Plaza to Exit 63 (Route 72 East), the estimated travel time is 1 hour and 42 minutes via the express lanes as of 3 p.m. Thursday.
Travel time to Belmar
From the Raritan Toll Plaza to Exit 98 (Route 138 East) the estimated travel time is 39 minutes via the express lanes as of 3 p.m. Thursday.
There was a two-mile delay in the southbound local lanes near Exit 109 (County Route 520 in Middletown at that time.
And there was a two-mile delay in the southbound lanes near Exit 63A (Route 72 East in Stafford) due to volume. All lanes are open.
Delays in northern Monmouth
There was a backup on the parkway from local and express roadways southbound from south of Exit 109 (County Route 520 in Middletown) to north of Exit 105 (Route 36 in Tinton Falls) since 10:15 a.m. due to volume. As of 11:15, it appears to be improving.