Hurricane Erin snarls New Jersey’s morning commute with crashes, delays, and debris
NEWARK, NJ — Rain and high winds from Hurricane Erin added chaos to New Jersey’s already-busy Thursday morning commute, triggering crashes, vehicle breakdowns, and widespread delays across major highways including the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
The worst incident as of 7:57 a.m. was a crash involving an overturned vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike’s Western Spur northbound at the Interchange 16W entrance ramp in East Rutherford, where all lanes were blocked. Traffic was squeezing by on the right shoulder only, compounding delays in the area.
Elsewhere, a disabled bus on the Garden State Parkway northbound near the Judy Blume Service Area in Wall Township temporarily slowed traffic. All lanes remained open, but the breakdown added to congestion triggered by earlier issues.
In Edison Township, a crash on the inner roadway of the New Jersey Turnpike northbound just past Interchange 9 (NJ 18) blocked the right shoulder. While lanes stayed open, delays began building.
Adding to driver frustration, debris was reported on the Garden State Parkway northbound south of Exit 98 (NJ 138), also in Wall Township, forcing a left lane closure and further slowing traffic.
Multiple delays were reported systemwide, including:
- 3.5-mile backup on the Turnpike Eastern Spur northbound from Newark to just past Interchange 15W (I-280) in Kearny
- 2.5-mile delay on the Western Spur northbound from Newark to just south of 15W
- 5.5-mile backup on the Garden State Parkway northbound from Newark to Nutley
- Delays on both levels of the George Washington Bridge, with travel times of 40 minutes on the upper level and 20 minutes on the lower level
Route 17, Route 3, I-295, NJ 29, and several turnpike and parkway exits also saw minor to moderate slowdowns, with rainfall and reduced visibility likely contributing.
While all major bridges and tunnels remained open, heavy volume, wet roads, and wind gusts tied to Erin made for a longer-than-usual ride for thousands of Garden State commuters.
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Key Points
- Hurricane Erin brought wet weather that contributed to major crashes and delays across New Jersey highways
- An overturned vehicle blocked all lanes at Turnpike Interchange 16W, and debris forced a lane closure in Wall Township
- Significant delays affected the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and George Washington Bridge
Hurricane Erin stayed offshore, but its wrath was all over New Jersey’s highways this morning.