Changes are coming to this busy New Jersey highway stop

When the Garden State Parkway was constructed in the 1950s, the goal was to create a highway to eliminate the traffic congestion along the areas adjacent to the Jersey Shore.

Its hard to think of a world without the GSP, Atlantic City Expressway, New Jersey Turnpike, and other superhighways around the United States. They have become synonymous with travel to the point where many NJ residents will describe where they live based on the closed Garden State Parkway Exit.

One of the staples of travel on the Garden State Parkway and highway travel around the United States are rest stops and service areas. Since the late 1950s, one of the well-known spots for travelers to get food, fill up their gas tank, and use the restrooms in the one located near GSP Exit 17.

Known for decades as the Ocean View Service Area, the complex used to be famous for having a Roy Rogers Fast Food restaurant (one of the only ones in the area for many years) and being used as a U-Turn for northbound motorists who need to go southbound or use Exit 17.

Popular Service Area Undergoing Reconstruction

Since 2017, all New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway rest stops have been slated for reconstruction as part of a 25-year agreement that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) with Sunoco and food service firm HMS Host.

Sunocco originally reached an agreement to operate GSP and NJ Turnpike Rest Stops in 2011. After the initial contract was set to expire in 2016, a new deal that brought in HMS Host was agreed upon in 2017.

The renovation plans will close down the gas station, access to restrooms, and food service from October until December, according to reports. Motors will still be able to use the U-Turn and parking areas at the service area.

The popular service area came under a new level of attention when it was renamed the "Bruce Willis Service Area". The New Jersey Hall of Fame was given the authority to rename all service areas on the Garden State Parkway starting in 2021. Cape May County officials disputed Willis' connection to New Jersey's southernmost county, and the "controversy" made headlines in 2024.

The only service area rest stop in Cape May County, a popular tourism destination for visitors and vacationers. Here are some of my favorite parts of visiting and living in New Jersey's southernmost county:

10 Favorite Things about Cape May County, NJ

The history of Cape May County predates the formation of the United States of America by about 100 years as it was one of the first counties established in what was originally known as the West New Jersey Provence. Cape May County's historical records go back as far as 1685 and the County was originally established in 1692. Cape May County has been a huge part of my life and that of my family's for decades, so I wanted to share with you my favorite aspects of the southern most County in the state of New Jersey.

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media