TOMS RIVER - A portion of the Garden State Parkway has buckled, causing at least a 15-mile traffic jam in the southbound lanes from about Exit 98 to Exit 82A on Tuesday evening, according to the state Department of Transportation website 511nj.org .
“The pavement heaved in the right lane of the southbound Parkway at milepost 82.7,” said Tom Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. “The lane is closed. We’re assessing the damage now.”
Feeney said emergency repairs would be made on Tuesday night and would be expected to take several hours to complete.
Engineers were currently on scene and undertaking an assessment of the damage, he said.
In hot temperatures, pavements expand as the sun radiates down on the road surface. When this happens, it’s possible for weak points in the road to buckle.
A New Jersey State Police unit first responded to a report of “a crack in the asphalt” in the right lane at milepost 82.8 in Toms River at 3:12 p.m. Tuesday, said agency spokesman Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron.
“Upon the trooper’s arrival, the right lane was shut down for repairs to the roadway,” Lebron said. “There were no crashes or injuries reported. The incident remains under investigation and no additional information is available at this time.”
Shortly after 5:30 p.m., the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert to the public encouraging them to find another route down to the Shore on Tuesday evening.
“Expect delays on the Garden State Parkway south of the Toms River exits due to emergent road work being done,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a text message to the public. “Find alternative routes until further notice.”
Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Garden State Parkway buckles in Toms River; resulting in 15-mile traffic jam to Wall
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