Preventing Gridlock for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Seaside Heights

Avoid using Route 35 to get to and from the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Seaside Heights this Saturday.

That advise from Ocean County Engineer Frank Scarantino who said Route 35 will have only one lane in each direction. Instead, parade goers are being encouraged to use Route 37 in Toms River. "At the inspiration of Mayor (Bill) Akers of Seaside Heights, he had an idea that Hamilton Avenue could be made one-way out of the Boulevard, which would give us two lanes out," said Scarantino.

The County and Seaside Heights discussed the idea with the State Department of Transportation. Scarantino said the D-O-T agreed to have its contractor finish paving on the approach to carry two lanes to the bridge and vice-versa. "Three lanes on the bridge going east into the Borough will now have two lanes, where as it's only one right now," Scarantino said.

That together with message boards guiding the public and police manning the various intersections in Seaside will be able to override the county traffic signals to easily direct the flow of traffic into and out of the Borough.