Morning gridlock hits North Jersey as crashes and disabled vehicles jam key routes
NEWARK, NJ – Tuesday’s morning rush turned sluggish across North Jersey, with disabled vehicles, crashes, and lingering congestion causing widespread delays from the Turnpike to the bridges.
A disabled tractor-trailer blocked the right lane on the New Jersey Turnpike’s outer roadway northbound near Interchange 14 in Newark shortly after 8:30 a.m., slowing traffic for several miles.
Minutes earlier, a separate disabled vehicle on NJ 495 eastbound near Boulevard East in Weehawken clogged the left lane, backing up commuters bound for the Lincoln Tunnel.
In Woodbridge Township, a crash on US 9 northbound near Green Street shut down one of two lanes, creating a heavy bottleneck through the area.
Delays ripple across major crossings and highways
The Lincoln Tunnel saw 30-minute waits in both the center and south tubes as traffic built eastbound toward New York. The George Washington Bridge fared no better—travel times stretched to 40 minutes on the upper level and 30 on the lower, with congestion on I-95 back to I-80.
Turnpike drivers also faced an eight-mile delay northbound between Carteret-Rahway and Newark, with volume compounded by the disabled truck near Interchange 14.
Road hazards add to commuter strain
Farther south, a vehicle went off the roadway on the Garden State Parkway near Exit 67 in Barnegat, blocking the right shoulder but not causing major slowdowns. In West Amwell Township, downed wires closed NJ 179 in both directions north of Mount Airy Village Road.
Other slow-moving stretches were reported on US 1 through Lawrence and West Windsor, NJ 23 in Totowa, and I-287 south through Bridgewater and Franklin.
Traffic eases slowly through midmorning
By 9 a.m., conditions had begun to improve on I-280 in Parsippany, where an earlier crash cleared without lasting impact. Officials urged drivers to allow extra time and remain alert for unexpected lane closures as residual delays clear through late morning.