NEWARK, NJ – Rush hour commuters across New Jersey faced a rough start this morning as multiple crashes, breakdowns, and lane closures snarled traffic from Camden County to Bergen County.
A disabled vehicle on I-76 westbound near Exit 1B in Gloucester City shut down one of four lanes, triggering a bottleneck for drivers headed toward I-295.
In Mercer County, a crash on I-295 southbound just past Exit 72 in Hopewell Township forced the closure of the right shoulder, slowing the southbound flow during peak morning volume.
Key Points
- Multiple incidents reported statewide during the Monday morning commute
- Crashes, disabled vehicles, and roadwork caused backups on major interstates
- Delays stretched from Gloucester City to Newark and Jersey City
Newark streets shut down after crash
A crash on Coastwise Street near Tyler Street in Newark forced all lanes to close, with traffic detoured through nearby side streets as crews cleared debris from the scene. The closure compounded existing congestion across the city, where southbound NJ 21 and westbound I-280 were already seeing heavy delays.
Adding to driver frustrations, an equipment malfunction at the Joyce Kilmer Service Area in East Brunswick left all EV charging stations offline on the New Jersey Turnpike, with no estimated restoration time.
Turnpike and parkway delays worsen during peak hours
Northbound traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike was sluggish throughout the morning, with a four-mile delay reported between Linden and Elizabeth on the outer roadway and additional slowdowns on both the Eastern and Western Spurs due to earlier incidents. The Garden State Parkway also suffered delays in both directions, particularly through Bloomfield, East Orange, and Kearny.
Volume-related backups were reported on the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City and on NJ 42 northbound from Deptford Township to Bellmawr. Travel time through the Holland Tunnel eastbound reached 25 minutes from the Turnpike’s Exit 14C.
Central Jersey corridors clogged with commuter traffic
In Somerset County, I-287 saw stop-and-go conditions southbound between Bridgewater and Franklin Township, while northbound lanes slowed through Piscataway and Easton Avenue. I-78 westbound traffic was jammed from Union to Springfield Township, and NJ 24 reported twin delays eastbound and westbound around Millburn and Hanover.
Mount Olive Township commuters faced a slowdown on US 206 southbound due to volume, with congestion stretching past Drakesdale Road.
Northern counties see persistent gridlock
North Jersey roads fared little better. NJ 17 in Hackensack and Maywood remained jammed, and NJ 208 southbound through Hawthorne and Fair Lawn crawled with commuter traffic. NJ 495 and Route 3 in Secaucus and Clifton were congested, feeding into ongoing tunnel approach delays.
Officials advised drivers to expect continued slow travel through mid-morning as incidents clear and volume remains high across the state’s busiest corridors.