Newark, NJ – Drivers across New Jersey faced a difficult Tuesday morning commute as crashes, a disabled tractor trailer, and a water main break combined with heavy volume to slow travel on major highways, bridges, and tunnels during peak rush hour.
By 8:45 a.m., multiple crashes were reported on I-295 northbound in Hamilton Township. One incident south of Exit 61 near Arena Drive blocked two left lanes and the right shoulder, while another crash north of Exit 64 near CR 535 left the left shoulder closed. Both incidents contributed to slowdowns through Mercer County.
Further north, a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike outer roadway northbound near Interchange 12 in Linden closed one left lane. Traffic was also affected by a disabled tractor trailer on the George Washington Bridge upper level westbound, where two right lanes were blocked on the Upper Trans Manhattan Expressway in Manhattan.
In Newark, a crash on the US 1&9 Truck Route northbound at the Passaic River Drawbridge closed one of two right lanes. In South Jersey, a water main break continued to cause major restrictions on US 30 westbound in Pennsauken Township, where three right lanes remained closed east of the Airport Circle.
Volume-related delays were widespread across northern and central New Jersey. Significant congestion was reported on I-78 eastbound local lanes, NJ 21 northbound, NJ 3 eastbound, NJ 24 eastbound, NJ 18 northbound, and both directions of I-287 in Somerset and Middlesex counties.
- Multiple crashes reported on I-295, the Turnpike, and US 1&9.
- Lane closures affected the George Washington Bridge and US 30.
- Heavy volume caused delays on parkways, interstates, and tunnels.
Crossings into New York were also slow. Travel times on the George Washington Bridge averaged 20 minutes westbound on the Cross Bronx Expressway and about 30 minutes eastbound from Fort Lee. Delays at the Lincoln Tunnel stretched travel times to roughly 30 minutes from the New Jersey Turnpike Exit 16E to Manhattan.
The Garden State Parkway saw extended delays northbound from Woodbridge to Cranford, Bloomfield, and Paramus, with delays also reported southbound near Bloomfield. On the New Jersey Turnpike, both inner and outer roadways northbound between Linden and Newark experienced delays of up to six miles due to volume, with additional congestion exiting at Interchange 15E tied to backups on US 1&9.
