Newark, NJ — It was a rough start for thousands of New Jersey drivers Tuesday morning as crashes, police activity, and volume-packed highways jammed up major routes heading into New York City.
One of the biggest headaches began on the George Washington Bridge upper level eastbound in Fort Lee, where police activity blocked a right lane, causing delays that stretched travel times to 20 minutes from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. The lower level was also congested, with 15-minute backups.
Meanwhile, the Lincoln Tunnel saw 15-minute delays from the Turnpike’s Exit 16E to the New York side across both center and south tunnels, despite all lanes remaining open.
A crash on I-80 westbound near Exit 47B in Parsippany-Troy Hills closed a lane, further contributing to backups. Another crash on the Turnpike’s Eastern Spur near Interchange 17E in Secaucus blocked the left lane and slowed traffic in the already heavy morning push.
In Old Bridge Township, a downed utility pole on NJ 35 southbound shut a lane near Lawrence Parkway, adding to local congestion. And a disabled tractor-trailer in Elizabeth clogged McLester Street near Lyle King Street, closing the left lane.
Even without incidents, several highways were slammed by volume alone. Garden State Parkway delays stacked up southbound between Bloomfield and East Orange and again near the US 1 exit in Woodbridge. I-78 westbound express lanes through Hillside and Springfield were crawling, as were sections of I-280, NJ 29 in Trenton, US 1 in Lawrence, and NJ 3 in Clifton.
Popular shore routes remained mostly steady with modest times southbound: 25 minutes from the Raritan Toll Plaza to Belmar via both express and local lanes; just under two hours to Wildwood.
But commuters heading into New York had to pack patience—and maybe a podcast—as traffic brought a slow and frustrating morning for thousands across the region.
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Key Points
- Police activity and multiple crashes slowed traffic on the GWB, Turnpike, and I-80
- Major Hudson River crossings into NYC saw 15- to 20-minute delays
Tuesday morning traffic brought delays, crashes, and bridge backups for New Jersey commuters trying to enter the city.
