Hurricane Irene Making for Difficult Friday Drive

At 3:15 on Friday afternoon the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is already reporting delays on the road and other unique issues being brought about by the pending arrival of Hurricane Irene. 

For motorists currently on the roads, there are delays reported on the Garden State Parkway heading north near Exit 98. The delays stretch from south of the exit to the Monmouth Service Area. The three mile delay is being attributed to heavy volume on the road. There are also delays being reported on Route 72 West from Route 9 in Stafford Township to Route 70 in Woodland Township.

On the New Jersey Turnpike there are delays being reported heading north from Exit 8 to Exit 8A, also due to volume. On the local roads, the New Jersey Department of Transportation is reporting heavy traffic on Route 70 in Manchester reaching all the way to Maple Ave. in Evesham Twp as volume builds in that area as well. 

As the night goes on, more changes will be coming to the roadways, including the closure of the Garden State Parkway south of Exit 98. Since 8 a.m. this morning no tolls have been collected on the Parkway from the Driscoll Bridge to Cape May according to the authority. Also tonight, a stretch of Route 72 leading all the way to Route 70 east will be made into a westbound only route. That is being done in an effort to help with the evacuation of Long Beach Island and the other neighboring communities. 

Capt. Frank Davis of the New Jersey State Police said as the storm nears, motorists are encouraged to be off the roads altogether. "Not being on the roads is the better position to take," he said. He said people should be "proactive" with their plans on how they will handle the storm and leave as early as possible to get where they plan to go in anticipation of heavy traffic. 

New Jersey Transit is also altering its schedule for the weekend. It was announced today that rail, light rail and Access Link services will be suspended starting tomorrow. The train system will be suspended as of 12 p.m. on Saturday while light rail and Access Link services will be suspended as of 6 p.m. 

No announcement has been made yet as to the bus service but information on the NJT website said they will be cross honoring across the system as available. They also announced that their waiting rooms will remain open through the weekend for people looking for somewhere to stay dry.

The Motor Vehicle Commission has also announced that they will be closing their offices in Atlantic, Cumberland, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem counties from 4 p.m. on Friday until further notice according to a release from the governor's office. For those people who were going to have their licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations or inspections expire as of Sept. 1 that deadline has been moved to Sept. 10.