Edison, NJ – Morning rush hour turned into a gridlock nightmare for commuters across New Jersey as multiple crashes, road closures, and delays crippled major routes Monday.
It began just after 5 a.m. when a water main break on North Service Road near Cargo Road in New York forced all southbound lanes to close, with alternating traffic shifted to the northbound side. By 7:23 a.m., an unrelated incident in East Brunswick shut down NJ 18 southbound after a downed utility pole blocked all lanes north of West Ferris Street.
At 8:14 a.m., a crash on I-287 northbound at Exit 1 in Edison completely closed the roadway, halting traffic in both directions. Minutes earlier, at 8:04 a.m., an overturned vehicle on I-280 westbound near Exit 10 in West Orange left only one lane open, causing heavy delays.
By 8:02 a.m., another crash on US 22 westbound at CR 655 in Scotch Plains had blocked two of three lanes. Congestion also mounted on US 206 in Mount Olive, the George Washington Bridge upper and lower levels, NJ 4 in Teaneck, NJ 21 in Clifton, and the Garden State Parkway in East Orange and Bloomfield.
Authorities are urging drivers to expect delays on alternate routes, as many affected areas remain backed up well beyond the crash sites.
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Key Points
- Multiple major crashes and incidents have closed lanes and entire roads across NJ during Monday morning rush hour.