NEWARK, NJ – Drivers faced a rough Thursday morning commute across New Jersey, with crashes, lane closures, and long bridge delays slowing traffic from the Shore to the Hudson crossings.
A car collided with a deer around 8:20 a.m. on the Garden State Parkway southbound near Exit 114 in Holmdel, blocking the left local lane.
In Wall Township, an overturned vehicle shut down the right lane and shoulder of NJ 34 southbound near NJ 70 just after 8 a.m.
A watermain break earlier in Mount Ephraim continued to restrict traffic on NJ 168 southbound near Prospect Ridge Boulevard, closing one lane and the shoulder.
At the Hudson River crossings, commuters faced gridlock approaching New York City, with travel times topping 50 minutes at the George Washington Bridge upper level.
Bridge and tunnel backups
The George Washington Bridge lower level posted 45-minute delays eastbound, while the Lincoln Tunnel’s center and south tubes each saw 40-minute travel times from the New Jersey Turnpike Exit 16E to Manhattan.
At the Holland Tunnel, delays stretched 30 minutes from Exit 14C and 25 minutes from NJ 139 at Tonnelle Circle, though all lanes remained open.
Turnpike traffic was heavy across multiple interchanges, with delays between Exits 13 and 15W and near Newark Liberty International Airport.
Turnpike and Parkway volume adds to slowdown
Northbound traffic on both the Eastern and Western Spurs of the New Jersey Turnpike saw delays of two to three miles through Newark and Kearny due to volume.
Additional congestion hit northbound drivers on I-95 approaching the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, as well as on NJ 17 in Hackensack and Rochelle Park.
The Garden State Parkway also saw a 2½-mile backup southbound through Bloomfield and East Orange during the height of the morning rush.
Statewide minor slowdowns
Pockets of slower traffic were reported on NJ 18 in both directions through East Brunswick and New Brunswick, as well as on US 202 in Bridgewater and US 206 in Hillsborough.
Despite the widespread congestion, no major injuries or long-term closures were reported.
Key Points
- Crashes on the Garden State Parkway and NJ 34 caused lane closures Thursday morning
- Long delays hit the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel eastbound into New York
- Heavy volume on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway slowed statewide travel
