VIDEO: Parkway Shuttered Below Exit 98

Almost like clockwork, the State Police began shutting down the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway south of Exit 98 at 8 p.m. Friday.

said the southbound lanes would be closed indefinitely and used for emergency purposes only.

It was one of a slew of road closures that Christie said were designed to get people away from beach areas ahead of Hurricane Irene before it reached the Jersey Shore as predicted Saturday night.

A line of red brake lights could be seen on the southbound lanes from the Monmouth rest area around mile marker 100 Friday night as cars were routed onto Exit 98 by orange traffic cones.

Routes 47 and 347 in Cape May were closed to eastbound traffic beginning at 6 p.m. and the Atlantic City Expressway was closed to eastbound traffic, also beginning at 6 p.m.

All lanes of Route 72 to Route 70 were closed to eastbound traffic at 6 p.m., using all lanes to lead away from the ocean. The measure is to aid evacuation of Long Beach Island in Ocean County.

Beginning Saturday at 12 p.m., New Jersey Transit will be shuttered.