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.
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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.