NEW YORK, NY – Commuters across the New York metropolitan area faced a challenging Monday morning drive, as multiple crashes, disabled vehicles, and heavy volume caused widespread delays on major highways and parkways throughout the region.
In New York City, Staten Island saw two major incidents on I-278 (Staten Island Expressway) westbound. A crash near Fingerboard Road by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge blocked two right lanes, while a second collision at South Avenue shut down three of four lanes, causing severe delays for motorists heading toward New Jersey.
In the Hudson Valley, traffic backed up on the Bronx River Parkway northbound at Exit 18 (Clermont Road, White Plains), where a crash blocked the right lane. Two separate disabled vehicles slowed traffic along the Taconic State Parkway, with one blocking the right shoulder near mile marker 31 in Putnam Valley and another reported at Exit 43A (NY 82 Northbound, East Fishkill).
Across the river in New Jersey, heavy congestion persisted on the New Jersey Turnpike northbound, with the inner roadway backed up 2½ miles from Interchange 13 (Linden) to Interchange 13A (Newark Liberty International Airport) and a six-mile delay continuing north on the outer roadway toward Interchange 14 (Newark). Additional slowdowns were reported on I-287 northbound through Piscataway and Franklin Township, and I-295 northbound near Bordentown and Hamilton Township.
Other New Jersey highways saw pockets of volume, including I-78 westbound in Union and Springfield, US 206 southbound in Mount Olive Township, US 1&9/Tonnelle Avenue southbound between Secaucus and Jersey City, NJ 3 westbound through Clifton, and NJ 21 southbound at Exit 9 in Clifton.
Farther north, Connecticut commuters were also delayed, with congestion on I-95 southbound between Exits 29 and 24 and on Route 8 southbound between Exits 2B and 1B.
No weather-related issues were reported, but heavy commuter traffic across the tri-state area led to extended travel times through the morning peak.