TOMS RIVER, NJ – On the Garden State Parkway, traffic slowed just north of the Toms River Toll Plaza after a vehicle veered off the roadway in a crash around 7:44 a.m. The incident blocked the right shoulder, complicating northbound travel as thousands of drivers began their holiday exodus.
Morning commuters heading into the long Labor Day weekend faced a rough start Friday as several incidents across New Jersey’s major roadways triggered delays and partial lane closures, especially along routes leading to the Jersey Shore.
Further north, Route 4 in Teaneck experienced disruption when a crash near Webster Avenue and Farragut Drive closed one of two eastbound lanes. That crash was first reported shortly after 7:00 a.m., adding congestion to a normally heavy corridor.
Meanwhile, a downed traffic signal on Route 46 westbound near Main Street (CR 644) in Rockaway Township shut down one right lane, affecting morning flow through Morris County. That incident was reported at 7:02 a.m.
In Lindenwold, downed wires on US 30 eastbound near New Freedom Road (CR 691) forced the closure of one lane around 5:53 a.m., prompting local detours and lane shifts.
While no lanes were closed, significant delays were also building on Route 21 northbound near Passaic Street and on I-280 westbound approaching Exit 15 (Route 21) in Newark, both common congestion points during peak hours.
The George Washington Bridge also reported delays on the lower level eastbound, though all lanes remained open. The travel time from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge stood at 15 minutes as of 7:27 a.m.
As New Jersey heads into one of its busiest travel weekends of the year, drivers are urged to monitor traffic updates and prepare for extended travel times, especially on shore-bound routes.