Warning: Parkway Delays Near Middletown This Weekend
With so many big events this weekend at the shore, including the Asbury Park Music & Film Festival, The Allaire BBQ & Brew Fest, and the Monmouth County SPCA Dog Walk & Pet Fair, not to mention beach-goers, here's a traffic nightmare for you.
Two northbound Parkway lanes, PLUS Middletown-Lincroft Road, will close while repairs are made to a bridge that was damaged in a crash.
Two out of the three northbound local lanes of the Parkway will close from 10 am Friday (April 27th) through 5 am Monday (April 30th), as permanent repairs are made to a bridge that was damaged in an accident back in November.
Officials say the impact of this work on traffic through the area could be severe, especially on Friday. If you plan to travel north through that area, you are advised to allow extra time and/or consider alternate routes.
The bridge is located between exits 109 and 114 at milepost 112. Two steel beams beneath the bridge were severely damaged when they were struck by a backhoe being towed on a trailer traveling beneath the Parkway on Middletown-Lincroft Road. (One lane of the northbound Parkway had to be closed after the collision and remained closed for two days while temporary steel beams were installed.)
Construction crews will be working around the clock through the weekend in order to complete the permanent repairs and reopen the lanes before the Monday morning rush.
To check on travel conditions on the Parkway throughout the weekend, you can call 511 or download the SafeTripNJ smartphone app. Live traffic camera views of the roadway are available by CLICKING HERE and going to the Travel Tools tab.
And Middletown-Lincroft Road will be closed through the weekend for the construction as well!
Eesh...I'm guessing this means that many local roads in the area will be more congested, too, with people trying to get around the Parkway construction. I know that I will face a challenge when I have to get to Red Bank and Back on Sunday.
Best of luck to you! Please share this warning so everyone can choose their favorite, secret back roads and avoid the mess! LOL!