NEWARK, N.J. — Morning commuters faced significant delays across New Jersey on Wednesday due to crashes, fires, and emergency construction affecting major roadways.
A crash on the Garden State Parkway southbound near Exit 144 in Newark was reported at 7:43 a.m., though all lanes remained open. Meanwhile, a tractor-trailer fire on I-287 northbound near Exit 66 in Mahwah Township forced the closure of all lanes as of 7:18 a.m.
Emergency construction and a sinkhole on I-80 eastbound at Exit 34 in Wharton led to a full closure and detour starting at 6:14 a.m. Elsewhere, delays were reported on NJ 70 westbound approaching US 206 in Southampton Township due to heavy traffic.
At the Hudson River crossings, delays were significant. The Holland Tunnel’s eastbound travel time was 25 minutes from New Jersey Turnpike Exit 14C and 20 minutes from NJ 139 at Tonnelle Circle. The Lincoln Tunnel’s center and south tunnels saw 25-minute delays from Turnpike Exit 16E.
The George Washington Bridge faced the longest delays, with the upper level requiring 35 minutes to cross eastbound on I-95 from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, while the lower level took 30 minutes.
New Jersey drivers endured severe congestion during the Wednesday morning commute, with a sinkhole and a truck fire among the biggest traffic disruptions.