Newark, NJ – Drivers across New Jersey are facing a rough morning commute Friday, with multiple crashes, disabled vehicles and long delays hitting some of the state’s busiest highways and crossings.
At 8:00 a.m., a crash on Route 10 northbound near Tabor Road in Morris Plains shut down one of two lanes, backing up traffic in Morris County. Just minutes earlier, a disabled vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike local lanes northbound near Exit 71 in Englewood blocked the right lane.
In Paterson, a disabled tractor trailer closed all eastbound lanes of I-80 just past Exit 58 at 7:36 a.m., creating one of the most severe disruptions of the morning. Another crash with injuries on Route 4 eastbound near River Road in Teaneck around 7:28 a.m. shut one lane, adding to Bergen County congestion.
Commuters are also dealing with delays at major crossings. Travel times on the George Washington Bridge reached 45 minutes on the upper level and 40 minutes on the lower level around 7:39 a.m. The Lincoln Tunnel reported 20-minute waits at both the center and south tubes, while the Holland Tunnel held steady at 20 minutes from the Turnpike Exit 14C.
The Garden State Parkway saw heavy slowdowns at multiple points, including southbound delays out of Bloomfield and Woodbridge, as well as a northbound backup between Cranford and Kenilworth. Turnpike traffic also stacked up on both the Eastern and Western Spurs near Newark with three-mile backups north of Interchange 15W.
Adding to the chaos, a water main break late Thursday night continued to close all lanes of Route 166 southbound near Mapletree Road in Toms River, forcing detours in Ocean County.
Other slow spots included Route 208 in Fair Lawn, Route 21 in Clifton, Route 1&9 in Jersey City, and Route 4 heading into Fort Lee.
With multiple incidents and volume-related delays, commuters are being urged to allow extra travel time throughout the morning.
Key Points
- A crash on Route 10 and a disabled tractor trailer on I-80 caused major disruptions in Morris and Passaic counties.
- Crossings into New York, including the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel, reported travel times of 20 to 45 minutes.
- A water main break continued to shut down Route 166 southbound in Toms River.
New Jersey drivers woke up to a full plate of traffic trouble Friday morning.
