BRICK – After shutting down for almost 12 hours, the Garden State Parkway has fully reopened after a major fire knocked the pins out of the Wednesday night commute. Details surrounding the blaze which appeared to be underneath the parkway in a storm drain, are still sketchy.
Around 7 a.m., New Jersey State Police tweeted that both the northbound and southbound lanes have opened in Brick Township.
Traffic began to build up yesterday at about 6:30 p.m., as police detoured the southbound traffic at Exit 98 in Wall and the northbound traffic was diverted at Exit 91 when the flames started.
Several drivers told Jersey Shore Online that their commute took as long as 4 hours, with many cars left at a standstill as traffic grew to nearly 8 miles long.
Governor Phil Murphy published a statement last night asking drivers to avoid the area at all costs.
“I’ve been briefed on the brush fire near Exit 91 of the Garden State Parkway. Please avoid the area as poor road visibility is resulting large traffic backups,” Murphy said.
According to Ocean County Scanner News, the fire was been extinguished with firefighters seen putting the flames out shortly after midnight. Fire crews from all over Ocean and Monmouth were on the scene.
At this time, the cause is unknown and the incident is still under investigation.
