Multiple highway incidents and heavy commuter congestion slow travel across North and Central Jersey.
Newark, NJ – The Tuesday morning commute across New Jersey saw widespread delays and multiple incidents, including crashes, a truck fire, and heavy congestion at major crossings into New York City.
As of shortly after 8 a.m., one of the more serious incidents involved a truck fire on Interstate 78 westbound in Union Township. The fire shut down two right lanes and the shoulder near Exit 15, creating significant backups for drivers heading west.
Crashes were also reported across several major roadways. On I-295 northbound in Barrington, two lanes were closed following a crash near Exit 29, while another crash on the Garden State Parkway southbound in Irvington blocked a right lane. A separate earlier crash involving an overturned tractor-trailer on the New Jersey Turnpike ramp at Exit 7A in Robbinsville continued to impact traffic with lane closures still in place.
Parkway and Turnpike incidents add to congestion
On the Garden State Parkway northbound in Aberdeen, a crash in the express lanes north of Exit 117 was reported earlier but all lanes have since reopened. However, delays persisted across a five-mile stretch from Bloomfield to Clifton during the peak commute.
Meanwhile, a disabled vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike’s Western Spur southbound near Interchange 15W in Newark blocked a right lane, adding to congestion in the area.
Heavy delays at tunnels and major routes
Commuters heading into New York City faced delays of about 20 minutes at both the Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel during the morning rush.
Traffic was also slow on several major state highways, including:
- NJ 3 eastbound in Clifton
- NJ 4 eastbound in Teaneck
- NJ 17 southbound through Paramus and Rochelle Park
- I-80 westbound in Paterson
- I-287 southbound in Bridgewater
In North Jersey, NJ 208 southbound between Hawthorne and Fair Lawn also saw delays despite all lanes remaining open.
Airport parking near capacity
Travelers heading to JFK Airport encountered near-capacity parking conditions, with Terminal 5 parking reported at 100% full and Terminal 4 at 99% capacity.
Officials continue to advise drivers to plan extra travel time, remain alert, and consider alternate routes as congestion and incident response efforts impact roadways statewide.
Key Points
- Truck fire on I-78 and multiple crashes caused lane closures and delays statewide
- 20-minute delays reported at Lincoln and Holland tunnels during morning commute
- JFK Airport parking near full capacity, adding to regional travel congestion