Parkway Caused Flooding? Ocean County Engineers Investigate

BRICK — County and Turnpike Authority officials say they are looking at what role recent work along the Garden State Parkway played in the flooding of the Greenbriar 1 community during Monday's rain storm.

Residents say the area never flooded before the reconfiguration of Exit 91.

Monday's torrential rains dropped between 6 and 8 inches of rain within three hours. More than 100 residents were forced to leave their homes.

Ocean County Administrator Carl Block said the county is cooperating with a call by state Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Dave Wolfe and Assemblyman Greg McGuckin for an investigation into whether the Parkway work affected flooding.

"The county engineer is also looking at the possibility and is more focused on an area a little further south of the interchange. He hasn't come to any conclusion yet but it seems to be that we're not sure that the 91 improvements are involved. But until you get all the information, you can't make that determination," Block said.

Block said he hoped to look at drone footage offered by Mayor John Ducey and data and design from previous projects to compare the drainage flow direction and whether pipes were changed or removed.

The drone footage can show if there was additional water flowing into the area from elsewhere for the first time, which could have contributed to the flooding.

Ocean County Engineer John Ernst said he is also looking at an area just south of Exit 91, across the new park-and-ride on the southbound side near Burnt Tavern Road. The area has a drainage system that carries water under the Parkway.

Block said the work on the interchange was done by the county but was designed by a consultant and was approved by the Turnpike Authority.