Newark, NJ – Morning drivers faced a rough ride across New Jersey Wednesday morning as crashes, disabled vehicles, and heavy congestion slowed traffic on major highways and river crossings.
A crash with injuries shut down all lanes on I-78 eastbound near Exit 45 in Summit just after 8:30 a.m., creating major backups for commuters heading east. Meanwhile, a disabled vehicle at the New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur toll plaza near Interchange 16W in East Rutherford blocked a lane and added to delays.
Volume alone is causing trouble spots across the Turnpike, with a three-mile backup reported northbound in Elizabeth near Interchange 13 and a two-mile delay at Interchange 12 in Woodbridge Township. Additional slowdowns stretched along the Eastern Spur between Newark and Kearny and the Hudson County Extension into Bayonne.
The George Washington Bridge saw heavy delays in both directions. Eastbound drivers from Fort Lee reported travel times of 40 to 45 minutes into Manhattan, while westbound congestion on the Cross Bronx Expressway added 20 minutes heading into New Jersey. The Lincoln Tunnel also backed up, with 30-minute waits eastbound from the Turnpike Exit 16E tolls into Midtown.
The Garden State Parkway added to the misery, with a 3½-mile northbound delay through East Orange and Nutley and southbound congestion in Bloomfield and Woodbridge. Smaller backups were also reported near Saddle Brook and Paramus.
Key Points
- Crash with injuries closed all lanes on I-78 eastbound near Summit.
- Multiple delays hit the New Jersey Turnpike, including three miles in Elizabeth and two miles in Woodbridge.
- Hudson River crossings backed up, with 30–45 minute waits at the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel.