Big Changes Coming to the Garden State Parkway in South Jersey

Since 1957, the Garden State Parkway's 173 miles of highway connecting Cape May to the New York State line has been one of the essential travel routes n New Jersey. Hundreds of thousands of motorists use the GSP each day for business and personal travel.

This is also one of the primary routes that visitors to the Jersey Shore use every summer season. For over 60 years, motorists have used the Exits from 100 to 0, which have been the catalysts for vacationers driving around the state each summer.

But the volume of vehicles traveling the Garden State Parkway has increased over the last few decades in a way that exceeds the original traffic infrastructure when the GSP made its debut in 1957. Every summer, traffic congestion causes intense gridlock and travel delays for both local motorists and seasonal vacationers.

Since the 1990s, Cape May County residents and elected officials have been asking for help to upgrade the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey's southernmost county. It wasn't until 13 years ago when the state finally reconstructed flow of traffic at Exits 11, 10, and 9, by removing traffic lights, and installing new bridges with overpasses connecting to exits.

South Jersey Motorists Finally Get Good News About Four GSP Exits

The New Jersey Transportation Panel hosted by the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce last week revealed new details about changes that are finally coming to the Garden State Parkway.

New Jersey Highway Authority Executive Director Kris Kolluri announced plans to convert four GSP exits into four-way traffic interchanges:

*Exit 6 - Soutbound exit for North Wildwood
*Exit 13 - Both North and Southbound exit for Avalon and Dennis Township
*Exit 17 - Southbound exit for Sea Isle City
*Exit 20 -Northbound exit for Route 50 and Upper Township

First reported by Fideri News Network, Kolluri confirmed that Exits 13 and 20 are already in the preliminary design phase, and will be the first two exits to get construction assignments.

Congressman Jeff Van Drew announced back in March 2026 that preliminary designs had been completed to convert Exit 20 into a four-way interchange that connects Garden State Parkway travelers with both Route 50 and Route 9 in Seaville.

GSP Exit 20 has been a point of contention between South Jersey year-round residents, and New Jersey State Officials for decades. There's even an "Urban Legend" that the original plans for Exit 20 was for it to be a four-way exchange but Trenton Politicians cut the funding for the project so it was constructed just as the partial exit it is today.

Expectations are that the new project to reconstruct Exit 20 will be the first up because those plans are furthest along. No official date has been set, but there is speculation that construction crews could be assigned as soon as Fall 2027.

Exit 13 is a completely different project because there are exit and entry points for both north and southbound motorists. The problem with this exit for the popular Jersey Shore town, Avalon, is a one-lane entrance and exit ramps. This causes plenty of traffic jams and travel gridlock for 9 months out of the year.

No details have been revealed about the official plans are for Exit 13, but numerous Cape May County elected officials have petitioned the state over the years to make these exits and entrance ramps two lanes to alleviate traffic congestion.

Exits 6 and 17 are not yet in the preliminary design phase yet, which means South Jersey year-round residents and vacationers will probably be waiting at least another decade before those projects get done.

Garden State Parkway Exit 17 is the primary connection for the popular New Jersey Coastal Community of Sea Isle City. The southbound-only exit and northbound-only entrance ramp have seen gridlock, traffic jams, and road rage incidents for decades.

GSP Exit 6 is the primary connection for North Wildwood Boulevard, the northern entry point for The Wildwoods. Almost 30 years ago, the state commissioned reconstruction projects to upgrade the bridges that connect North Wildwood to the mainland along Ocean Drive and Garden State Parkway northbound entrance ramp was upgraded.

But reconstruction of Exit 6 on the Garden State Parkway has not been a real discussion for 25 years. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for all of these projects to be completed.