ELIZABETH, N.J. — Morning commuters faced significant delays across New Jersey on Wednesday as multiple incidents and heavy volume snarled traffic on major roadways.
A crash on the New Jersey Turnpike’s outer roadway northbound near Interchange 13A by Newark Liberty International Airport in Elizabeth blocked both shoulders as of 8:27 a.m., slowing movement through the area. Farther north, delays plagued the George Washington Bridge, with eastbound travel times reaching 50 minutes on the upper level and 35 minutes on the lower level between I-80 and the Alexander Hamilton Bridge.
In Weehawken, a disabled vehicle mid-tunnel in the Lincoln Tunnel’s southbound tube blocked one right lane as of 8:23 a.m., further compounding delays for drivers headed into Manhattan. Meanwhile, I-287 southbound saw issues in two locations: a crash near Exit 14 for US-22 in Bridgewater closed one right lane, while heavy congestion caused travel times of up to 15 minutes between Piscataway and Edison.
Volume-related delays were widespread, including a two-mile backup on the New Jersey Turnpike’s Eastern Spur northbound from the Southern Mixing Bowl to near Interchange 15W for I-280 in Newark. The Garden State Parkway northbound also saw a four-mile delay from Exit 77 in Berkeley Township to Exit 81 due to an earlier incident.
Other major roadways affected by congestion included NJ 29 in Trenton, NJ 18 in East Brunswick, and US 1 in West Windsor, as well as both directions of NJ 17 in Wood-Ridge and Rochelle Park. Delays of 10 to 20 minutes were reported along NJ 24 between Millburn, Florham Park, and Hanover Township.
Commuters also faced slower travel on I-76 westbound near Bellmawr and Gloucester City and on I-287 southbound between Bridgewater and Piscataway. With multiple incidents and significant volume, drivers were advised to anticipate extended travel times throughout the morning.
