Watermain breaks and routine congestion caused widespread delays across northern and central New Jersey during the Friday morning commute.
NEWARK, NJ – Friday’s morning rush brought widespread slowdowns across New Jersey, with several watermain breaks and heavy commuter volume creating headaches for drivers from North Bergen to Atlantic City.
Crews were on scene along multiple major routes as of 8 a.m., working to repair breaks and manage traffic flow.
Motorists faced a combination of lane closures, maintenance activity, and routine congestion during the peak commute.
Multiple watermain breaks impact Bergen and Hudson counties
A watermain break on NJ 17 southbound in Rutherford shut down two of three lanes near Highland Cross just after 6 a.m., causing delays through the area.
Another major break was reported on US 46 near the Hackensack River Bridge in Ridgefield Park, closing one lane in each direction since early morning.
A third break on US 1&9 (Tonnelle Avenue) in North Bergen closed one of two lanes in both directions north of Paterson Plank Road as of 3:46 a.m.
Road work on Atlantic City Expressway
In South Jersey, crews were treating road surfaces on the Atlantic City Expressway between the Atlantic City Convention Center and Route 42 in Washington Township.
All westbound lanes remained open, while the eastbound side had its left shoulder restricted as workers applied treatment material. Officials urged drivers to slow down and move over for highway crews.
Turnpike and Parkway delays build
Northbound delays stretched two miles on the New Jersey Turnpike’s Western Spur from the Southern Mixing Bowl to near Interchange 15W in Newark.
On the Garden State Parkway, congestion was reported northbound near Exit 145 in East Orange and southbound approaching Exit 130 in Woodbridge Township.
Local highway slowdowns
Additional delays were observed on NJ 21 northbound through Clifton, NJ 4 eastbound through Teaneck, and NJ 17 northbound near Rochelle Park.
Traffic on I-80 eastbound through Paterson and NJ 24 eastbound through Hanover Township also moved slower than usual, though all lanes remained open.
Drivers are urged to allow extra travel time and use caution in work zones as repairs and road treatments continue through the morning.