Newark, NJ — New Jersey commuters faced a rough start to the week Monday morning as a mix of crashes, a watermain break, and multiple highway delays caused headaches across several counties and major roadways.
A vehicle fire on I-280 eastbound just west of Exit 12 for the Garden State Parkway in East Orange shut down the ramp lane as of 7:29 a.m., further backing up already heavy traffic on the corridor. The incident caused extended delays on I-280, which was also experiencing congestion from West Orange to East Orange since earlier in the morning.
In Hackettstown, a watermain break on Route 182 northbound near East Avenue was reported around 7:07 a.m. All lanes remain open, but local officials warned drivers of possible wet and slippery conditions in the area.
At 6:38 a.m., a crash on I-80 eastbound at Exit 47B for US 46 in Parsippany-Troy Hills closed the right shoulder. The incident contributed to slowdowns along the route heading toward the morning rush peak.
Bridge traffic remained especially heavy across the George Washington Bridge, with both upper and lower levels experiencing delays in both directions. Eastbound travel into New York from Fort Lee clocked in at 20 minutes on I-95 from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. Westbound traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway was delayed 15 minutes toward the bridge on both levels.
In Teaneck, NJ-4 eastbound was slowed between River Road and Queen Anne Road, while US 206 northbound in Mount Olive Township was also backed up between CR 613 points due to heavy volume.
The Garden State Parkway saw multiple stretches of congestion:
- Northbound, between Exit 147 in East Orange and Exit 151 in Bloomfield, a 4-mile backup developed due to volume.
- Southbound, minor delays were reported at Exit 130B-A in Woodbridge, and a 2.5-mile stretch of slowdowns occurred from Bloomfield to Exit 145 in East Orange.
The New Jersey Turnpike’s Western Spur experienced a 2-mile northbound delay near Newark due to heavy volume near the Southern Mixing Bowl.
Elsewhere, Goethals Bridge eastbound drivers encountered backups due to truck traffic near Forest Avenue and Gulf Avenue.
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Key Points
- A vehicle fire on I-280 eastbound closed a ramp and caused major delays in East Orange
- George Washington Bridge travel times peaked at 20 minutes eastbound and 15 minutes westbound
- Watermain break and crashes added to heavy volume across NJ highways during rush hour
Morning rush across New Jersey tangled in delays from crashes, fires, and bridge backups