TRENTON, NJ – North and Central Jersey commuters faced extensive delays Monday morning as heavy volume choked several major routes, including the New Jersey Turnpike, I-287, and the Hudson River crossings.
The New Jersey Turnpike reported heavy congestion in both directions, with northbound drivers seeing a 2½-mile delay on the inner roadway from south of Interchange 13 in Linden to Interchange 13A at Newark Liberty International Airport, and a six-mile delay on the outer roadway stretching toward Interchange 14 in Newark. All lanes remained open, but travel times were significantly extended due to volume.
At the Hudson River crossings, eastbound traffic was slow through all major tunnels and bridges. Travel times reached 45 minutes on the George Washington Bridge upper level and 40 minutes on the lower level from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. The Lincoln Tunnel experienced 40-minute delays from Turnpike Exit 16E, while the Holland Tunnel saw 30-minute waits from Turnpike Exit 14C and 25 minutes from NJ-139 at Tonnelle Circle.
Interstate routes also saw scattered slowdowns. I-287 northbound backed up from Piscataway Township to Franklin Township, while I-78 local lanes westbound moved slowly through Union and Springfield. I-295 northbound near Exit 56 in Bordentown Township saw typical morning congestion, with all lanes open.
Elsewhere, NJ 3 was congested both eastbound through Secaucus and westbound through Clifton, and NJ 21 southbound experienced volume at Exit 9 in Clifton. On local arterials, US 206 southbound slowed through Mount Olive Township, while NJ 208 backed up southbound between Hawthorne and Fair Lawn.
Drivers on NJ 4 eastbound through River Edge and Teaneck also experienced short delays, and Route 29 northbound in Trenton saw moderate backups approaching downtown. Eastbound commuters on US 22 faced heavier volume through Somerset and Union counties, with westbound delays reported near I-287.
Travel into North Jersey remained slow through midmorning, with typical drive times along the Turnpike southbound from the George Washington Bridge to Interchange 1 taking just under two hours.