CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Cape May County officials are making another concerted push to get full interchanges at four Garden State Parkway exits.
“We would love the Turnpike Authority to do these interchanges. We rely on the Garden State Parkway, which is a vital lifeline for our residences, businesses and emergency evacuation, and tourism is our number one business,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Len Desiderio said last week.
The Cape May County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Aug. 11 expressing support for complete interchanges at Garden State Parkway Exits 6, 13, 17 and 20, all of which operate as limited-access interchanges.
According to a news release from the county, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), which owns and operates the parkway, is evaluating the addition of full access to these four exits.
Exit 6 provides only southbound access to North Wildwood/Wildwood/Whitesboro that connects with Route 147, along with a northbound on-ramp.
Exit 13 provides access in both directions to Swainton/Avalon, but traffic backs up on the highway when motorists have to wait to turn onto Avalon Boulevard. Exit 17 provides southbound access to Sea Isle City/Woodbine but has the same issue with traffic backing up onto Sea Isle Boulevard.
Exit 20 provides northbound access to Seaville/Tuckahoe and a southbound on-ramp. The exit is close to the intersection of Routes 9 and 50.
Northbound traffic can exit there, while drivers can enter the parkway going south. But those heading south can only exit at Marmora or Sea Isle City, which is also a partial interchange, while those heading north take Route 9 to Marmora to get on the highway.
Desiderio, who is mayor of Sea Isle City but spends a lot of time at the county office complex in Cape May Court House and visits many areas as part of his official duties, said he drives the parkway a lot and sees the problems.
“I travel the parkway every day from Sea Isle and have seen the exits, how they’re backed up and how dangerous they are, not only to those getting off the exits but passengers driving past these exits,” he said.
Completing the interchanges would improve regional mobility, reduce unnecessary traffic on local roadways, strengthen emergency response capabilities and enhance coastal storm and weather-related evacuation routes, according to a new release from the county.
The projects would provide greater accessibility for residents and the millions of visitors who travel to and through the county each year.
“Cape May County relies on the Garden State Parkway as a vital lifeline for residents, businesses, emergency services and our tourism-driven economy,” Desiderio said. “Full interchanges at Exits 6, 13, 17 and 20 will make travel safer and more efficient while giving our communities stronger options during emergencies. We strongly urge the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to move these critical improvements forward.”
The resolution calls on the Turnpike Authority to advance the planning, design, funding and construction of the projects. It also encourages continued coordination with the NJTA, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, affected municipalities and other stakeholders to ensure the improvements best serve the transportation needs of the county and the state.
The fight has been going on for decades. Most recently, Paul Dietrich reported in 2020 when engineer for Upper Township that the NJTA had plans for full interchanges at Exit 20, 13 and 17 as part of a proposal to increase tolls. The plan included $20 million for Exit 20. The proposed project would have created a southbound exit and a northbound entrance, which would include replacing the overpass crossing the southbound lanes.
The plan also included another $20 million for a similar project to create a full interchange at Exit 17, connecting with Sea Isle Boulevard.
None of that work has been completed.
“Exit 20 is something Upper Township has pushed for a long time, so I’m certainly supportive of seeing movement on it. A full interchange would have obvious benefits for Upper, including improved access, reduced traffic, fuel savings and less pollution,” Deputy Mayor Victor Nappen said. “It could also be a real benefit to our local small businesses by making them more accessible and potentially create opportunities for future commercial development and additional ratables.”
In 2024, Upper Township Committee adopted a resolution, its 35th, urging the NJTA to move forward on construction of a full interchange at Exit 20.
“I believe it’s time for this to happen, time for the NJTA to look at this seriously. It’s very important to us in Cape May County,” Desiderio said.
He said a full interchange at Exit 20 would greatly benefit Upper Township’s business district in Seaville, allowing southbound vehicles to get off and visit the area without driving all the way on two-lane Route 9.
Desiderio said he has been working on getting an interchange heading north to Sea Isle City for years. Absent that, he said, he has asked for a sign indicating drivers can loop around the rest stop and get off at the Sea Isle City exit, something that many locals have been doing for years but that the NJTA frowns upon.
Desiderio said he was successful in getting a sign that indicated Exit 13 northbound provided access via loop, but then no indication which direction to go at the bottom of the ramp. He said he finally got that information added to the sign but getting a full upgrade has remained elusive.
“This is important to all of us here. Cape May County commissioners are leading the way and hope that the municipalities pick up the resolution and agree we need these changes,” Desiderio said. “We give a lot back to the state of New Jersey and are just asking for our fair share. This would not be happening in Bloomfield, Montclair, Union, anywhere up the parkway.”
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff