Watermain breaks, rush-hour volume slow friday morning commute across new jersey

Watermain breaks, rush-hour volume slow Friday morning commute across New Jersey

Posted by
1 min read
December 12, 2025

Watermain breaks and routine congestion caused widespread delays across northern and central New Jersey during the Friday morning commute.

NEWARK, NJ – Friday’s morning rush brought widespread slowdowns across New Jersey, with several watermain breaks and heavy commuter volume creating headaches for drivers from North Bergen to Atlantic City.

Crews were on scene along multiple major routes as of 8 a.m., working to repair breaks and manage traffic flow.

Motorists faced a combination of lane closures, maintenance activity, and routine congestion during the peak commute.

Multiple watermain breaks impact Bergen and Hudson counties

A watermain break on NJ 17 southbound in Rutherford shut down two of three lanes near Highland Cross just after 6 a.m., causing delays through the area.

Another major break was reported on US 46 near the Hackensack River Bridge in Ridgefield Park, closing one lane in each direction since early morning.

A third break on US 1&9 (Tonnelle Avenue) in North Bergen closed one of two lanes in both directions north of Paterson Plank Road as of 3:46 a.m.

Road work on Atlantic City Expressway

In South Jersey, crews were treating road surfaces on the Atlantic City Expressway between the Atlantic City Convention Center and Route 42 in Washington Township.

All westbound lanes remained open, while the eastbound side had its left shoulder restricted as workers applied treatment material. Officials urged drivers to slow down and move over for highway crews.

Turnpike and Parkway delays build

Northbound delays stretched two miles on the New Jersey Turnpike’s Western Spur from the Southern Mixing Bowl to near Interchange 15W in Newark.

On the Garden State Parkway, congestion was reported northbound near Exit 145 in East Orange and southbound approaching Exit 130 in Woodbridge Township.

Local highway slowdowns

Additional delays were observed on NJ 21 northbound through Clifton, NJ 4 eastbound through Teaneck, and NJ 17 northbound near Rochelle Park.

Traffic on I-80 eastbound through Paterson and NJ 24 eastbound through Hanover Township also moved slower than usual, though all lanes remained open.

Drivers are urged to allow extra travel time and use caution in work zones as repairs and road treatments continue through the morning.

Phil Stilton

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.

Facebook

Don't Miss