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Three Service Areas to Close for Construction

Aug 27 2019

Three service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway will close to the public shortly after Labor Day and remain closed until just before Memorial Day 2020 as work begins on the next phase of service area improvements. The closings are as follows:

 

  • The Vince Lombardi Service Area (on the Turnpike between the Eastern and Western Spurs in Ridgefield Borough) will be partially closed on or about Sept. 6th. The existing facility will be demolished and a new one constructed. Limited services will be available during the closure. Portable restrooms and food trucks will be provided, and the commuter and truck parking lots will remain open.  There will be no gasoline or diesel sales. For additional details on what services will be offered, read the Frequently Asked Questions at https://www.njta.com/media/4663/vince-lombardi-closure-faq.pdf.

 

  • The Richard Stockton Service Area (on the southbound Turnpike in Hamilton between exits 7A and 7) will close on or about Sept. 9th. The existing facility will be extensively remodeled and enlarged. All services will be suspended and this location will be off-limits to the public during construction. There will be no food, fuel, restrooms, or parking for passenger or commercial vehicles. For additional details, read the Frequently Asked Questions at https://www.njta.com/media/4692/richard-stockton-faq.pdf

 

  • The Forked River Service Area (in the median of the Parkway at milepost 76 in Lacey Township) will close on or about Sept. 10th. The existing facility will be demolished and a new one constructed. All services will be suspended and this location will be off-limits to the public during construction. There will be no food, fuel, restrooms, or commuter parking. For details, read the Frequently Asked Questions at https://www.njta.com/media/4664/forked-river-faq-draft.pdf.

“I realize that these service area closures cause a temporary inconvenience for our customers, but as anyone who has visited one of our new facilities can tell you, it will be worth the wait,” said New Jersey Turnpike Authority Executive Director John M. Keller. “The new service area facilities are bright, comfortable places with the amenities you need to refresh and refuel during your travels.  I’m sure you’ll be happy with the result when the new Vince Lombardi, Richard Stockton, and Forked River facilities open next spring.”

The Turnpike Authority announced in the summer of 2017 that its service area contractors, HMS Host and Sunoco, would make $250 million in capital improvements at Turnpike and Parkway service areas in exchange for contracts to continue operating the food and fuel concessions on Turnpike Authority roadways for the next 25 years. Because of that investment, nine service area facilities are being replaced and seven others remodeled without the use of toll-payer dollars.  

The Thomas Edison and Alexander Hamilton service areas on the Turnpike and the Monmouth Service Area on the Parkway have been completed so far. Monmouth reopened in May 2019, Edison in June 2019, and Hamilton in August 2019.  In addition, a new convenience store with restroom facilities opened at the Brookdale North Service Area on the Garden State Parkway this summer. Brookdale North had been a fuel-only location.

The work under the agreement with HMS Host and Sunoco is being done at the rate of two or three service areas a year and will continue until 2024.

 

For details on other service area options on the Turnpike and Parkway, visit www.njta.com, click “Travel Tools” at the top of the page, and choose “Service Areas & Commuter Lots” from the drop-down menu. For updates on construction, follow the Turnpike Authority on Twitter (@NJTurnpike and @GSParkway) and Facebook (facebook.com/TurnpikeAuthority).