The Garden State Parkway

The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State". The parkway is designated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) as Route 444, although this designation is unsigned. At its north end, the road becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, a component of the New York State Thruway system that connects to the Thruway mainline in Ramapo. The parkway is the longest highway in the state at approximately , and, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, was the busiest toll road in the United States in 2006. Most of the highway north of the Raritan River runs through heavily populated areas. Between the Raritan River and the township of Toms River, the highway passes through lighter suburban development, while south of Toms River, the road mostly runs through unspoiled wilderness in the Pine Barrens and swampland. The highway has a posted speed limit of for most of its length and is primarily for passenger vehicle use; trucks weighing over are prohibited north of exit 105.

The parkway was constructed between 1946 and 1957 to connect suburban northern New Jersey with the Jersey Shore resort areas along the Atlantic coast and to alleviate traffic on traditional north–south routes running through each town center, such as U.S. Route 1 (US 1), US 9, and Route 35. During planning and construction of the first segment, the road was to be a toll-free highway designated as the Route 4 Parkway. However, a lack of funding caused the remainder of the parkway to be built as a toll road. The highway has seen many improvements over the years, including the addition and reconstruction of interchanges, bridge replacements, widening of the roadway, and removal of at-grade intersections. Previously, the road had been maintained by an agency known as the New Jersey Highway Authority (NJHA), however in 2003, the agency merged into the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), which now maintains the parkway along with the New Jersey Turnpike.

The parkway uses an open system of toll collection with flat-fee tolls collected at 11 toll plazas along the roadway, as well as at several entrances and exits. Tolls can be paid using cash or via the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system. Along the route are 11 service areas, providing food and fuel to travelers. Historically, the road had ten picnic areas along its length, but only one remains open today.

Route description

The Garden State Parkway begins at Route 109 in Cape May County. It runs north along the Jersey Shore, crossing the Great Egg Harbor Bay and passing to the west of Atlantic City. The parkway passes through the sparsely populated Pine Barrens until it reaches the township of Toms River in Ocean County, the route splits into a local-express lane configuration, which it maintains through South Amboy into Woodbridge Township, where it meets the New Jersey Turnpike ( Interstate 95 or I-95). North of here, the GSP passes through densely populated communities in Middlesex and Union counties and intersects I-78 near Newark. The parkway eventually passes to the south and east of Paterson and meets I-80 in Saddle Brook. After traversing the suburban northern section of Bergen County where it becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, continuing north to the New York State Thruway mainline.

The parkway serves as a major route connecting North Jersey with all of the state's shore points, and as such, is subject to frequent congestion. The number of lanes on the parkway ranges from four in Cape May, Atlantic, and Bergen counties, to 15 on the Driscoll Bridge. Much of the highway runs closely parallel to, or concurrently with US 9. The speed limit on the parkway is for most of its length. However, it is posted at on a section near Toms River and on a section between Sayreville and Paramus. The NJTA may temporarily reduce the speed limit when special hazards exist. Commercial trucks with a registered weight of over are not allowed to use the parkway north of exit 105, just past the Asbury Park Toll Plaza. The entire length of the Garden State Parkway carries the unsigned designation of Route 444, and is part of the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.

Cape May and Atlantic counties

The parkway begins at an at-grade intersection with Route 109 in Lower Township, Cape May County, where Route 109 continues south towards the city of Cape May and west towards US 9 and the Cape May–Lewes Ferry. The GSP runs north as a four-lane controlled-access highway on the Cape May peninsula through the Cape Island Wildlife Management Area, running west of swampland, separating the highway from the Jersey Shore communities. Trees occupy the median and the sides of the road for the next several miles. After passing to the east of Cape May National Golf Club, crossing over Jones Creek, and passing a pond in the median, the highway enters Middle Township and has an interchange with Route 47, which serves The Wildwoods resort area and the community of Rio Grande. North of this point, the parkway crosses over the abandoned Wildwood Branch of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), and afterwards, the trees in the median disappear and the highway has a partial interchange with Route 147, which provides access to North Wildwood, Whitesboro, and Burleigh. Crossing into the county seat of Cape May Court House, the median narrows and US 9 appears within yards of the southbound lanes of the parkway as it passes west of the Wildwood Golf and Country Club. The two highways then split apart and the GSP bisects residential areas before reaching an interchange for County Route 657 (CR 657), which serves the Cape Regional Medical Center and the borough of Stone Harbor.

Past this point, the road comes to an interchange for CR 609, which provides access to the Cape May County Park & Zoo and a building complex containing the Cape May County Technical School District. After a southbound entrance ramp from US 9, the parkway leaves Cape May Court House and returns to a desolate wooded setting with a wide tree-filled median. Continuing north, the parkway has an interchange with CR 601, serving the borough of Avalon and Swainton. North of this point, the highway enters Dennis Township and has a partial junction with CR 625, serving Sea Isle City before reaching the Toni Morrison Service Area in the median. Past the service area, the parkway enters Upper Township and reaches the Cape May Toll Plaza northbound immediately before meeting the southern terminus of Route 50, which serves Seaville, at a partial interchange. After passing east of several homes and a golf course, the parkway has the John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly Picnic Area in the median before it crosses over the abandoned PRSL Ocean City Branch. Continuing north, the highway comes to a diamond interchange with US 9 and CR 623, which serves Ocean City and Marmora. North of this exit, US 9 begins to run concurrently with the GSP, and the two routes run east of the community of Beesleys Point before the median narrows, and they cross the Great Egg Harbor Bay on the Great Egg Harbor Bridge.

The highway surfaces into the city of Somers Point, Atlantic County as the route crosses the Patcong Creek into Egg Harbor Township, where developments begin to appear on the west side of the highway. Eventually, the parkway crosses into uninhabited area again before heading into a commercial area and widening to six lanes. Here, the road has a junction with US 40, US 322, and CR 563, marking the first of three interchanges with roads that serve Atlantic City, located to the east. The median then transitions to a Jersey barrier and the parkway passes over the abandoned PRSL Newfield Branch before a partial junction with CR 608 and a cloverleaf interchange with the controlled-access Atlantic City Expressway (which heads west towards Philadelphia), where the northbound and southbound roadways split apart again. Upon leaving the commercial area, the highway passes to the east of Atlantic City International Airport and crosses over a flume of the Atlantic City Reservoir, which has a basin on each side of the highway. Continuing north, the highway enters Galloway Township and passes over NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line before it comes to a partial interchange with US 30, serving the city of Absecon. North of this exit, the median is home to the Frank Sinatra Service Area, which also has a barrack of the New Jersey State Police. Immediately north of the service plaza, the parkway has an interchange with CR 561, serving the community of Pomona. The parkway then enters the sparsely populated Pine Barrens, passing to the east of Stockton University and reaching a junction with CR 575/ CR 561 Alt. Past this point, the road turns northeast and crosses into the city of Port Republic as it winds north into the uninhabited Port Republic Wildlife Management Area. With some occasional development appearing along the sides of the road, the median narrows to a Jersey barrier as US 9 merges back onto the parkway, along with the Pine Barrens Byway, and the three routes cross the Mullica River.

Burlington and Ocean counties

The highway surfaces into Bass River Township, Burlington County, and US 9 and the Pine Barrens Byway depart at a partial interchange. Continuing northeast past the community of New Gretna, the parkway passes over US 9 with no access before crossing the Bass River and the median widens and contains a maintenance yard. Past this point, the median temporarily narrows again as the northbound lanes have the New Gretna Toll Plaza. Crossing northward through Bass River State Forest, the six-lane highway becomes desolate as it enters Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean County