Garden State Parkway reopens after brush fire closed lanes near Exit 91 for 12 hours
BRICK - The Garden State Parkway fully reopened in Brick Thursday morning after an overnight brush fire shut down a section of the road near Exit 91 for more than 12 hours.
In a 7 a.m. tweet, the New Jersey State Police said that both northbound and southbound lanes had reopened.
The portion of the parkway was closed around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Southbound traffic was diverted off Exit 98 and vehicles traveling northbound were directed to use Exit 89, the State Police said.
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Traffic was being turned around by State Police at official use U-turns in the median. Vehicles on the parkway were at a standstill for up to eight miles in some sections.
Heavy traffic was reported throughout northern Ocean County and southern Monmouth County last night, as motorists were left on their own to find alternate routes to their destinations.
The blaze appeared to be coming from underneath the parkway. Emergency crews on the scene had stretched a five-inch hose across the parkway and were calling for assistance to open manholes on the parkway.
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An Asbury Park Press photographer on the scene said the smoke had the odor of an electrical fire, although authorities are still calling it a brush fire.
Gov. Phil Murphy asked motorists to avoid the area Wednesday night.
“I’ve been briefed on the brush fire near Exit 91 of the @GSParkway,” Murphy tweeted. “Please avoid the area as poor road visibility is resulting (in) large traffic backups.”
Nicolas Fernandes is the early morning breaking news reporter. A lifelong New Jersey resident, he has previously worked as a features writer and sports reporter. Contact him at 732-540-4401 or nfernandes@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Parkway reopens after brush fire near Exit 91 caused hours of delays
