Rush-hour construction, traffic slows new jersey morning commute

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.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.