NEWARK, NJ – Drivers heading into the Thursday morning rush faced a tangle of delays across New Jersey, as flooding, crashes, disabled vehicles and heavy bridge traffic disrupted major routes statewide.

Flooding on Route 35 northbound just north of Route 88 in Point Pleasant Beach forced the closure of a ramp lane around 7:18 a.m., officials reported.

The Garden State Parkway saw multiple incidents, including a crash blocking the right shoulder at the northbound entrance ramp to Exit 154 in Clifton just after 8 a.m., and another crash with property damage at the southbound entrance ramp near Exit 139B in Union Township. Earlier, a southbound crash north of Exit 40 in Galloway Township left the left shoulder blocked. Rubbernecking delays stretched four miles between East Orange and Bloomfield on the northbound side by 8:13 a.m.

Elsewhere, I-80 eastbound near Exit 58 in Paterson had one of three lanes closed due to a disabled vehicle, while a crash on I-287 southbound near Exit 33 in Harding Township shut one of three lanes. A crash investigation on US 46 in Mount Olive Township kept all lanes closed in both directions since 5:58 a.m.

At the crossings, commuters into Manhattan faced steep delays. By 8:14 a.m., travel time reached 45 minutes on both the upper and lower levels of the George Washington Bridge. The Lincoln Tunnel also reported 40-minute waits at the center and south tubes from the New Jersey Turnpike Exit 16E to Manhattan.

Officials urged commuters to allow extra travel time as cleanup and investigations continued.

Key Points

Flooding closed a ramp lane on Route 35 northbound in Point Pleasant Beach.
Multiple crashes on the Garden State Parkway, I-80, I-287, and US 46 slowed traffic.
George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel delays topped 40 minutes during peak rush.

New Jersey commuters once again battled a morning of backups stretching from the Shore to the city crossings.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.