Major changes are planned for a busy section of the Garden State Parkway in the Toms River area, where a roughly $500 million project would reconfigure interchanges and add roads and lanes.

The project covers an approximately three-mile stretch of the Parkway connecting some of the busiest areas of Ocean County.

Plans call for a new southbound entrance ramp and northbound exit ramp at Interchange 80, as well as relocating the southbound exit ramp at Interchange 81. Additional roads and lanes would be added to help drivers navigate three closely spaced interchanges.

The plans also include 12-foot-wide shoulders on the left and right sides of the roadway, along with 12-foot-wide travel lanes.

The section of the Parkway has experienced serious crashes and traffic backups. The speed limit drops to 55 mph in the area, where the three consecutive interchanges can require drivers to weave in and out of traffic.

Before the project gets underway, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is seeking public input.

A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Ocean County Library in downtown Toms River.