HARDING TOWNSHIP, N.J. — New Jersey’s Wednesday morning commute was marked by a series of accidents and traffic jams, creating widespread delays on major roadways across the state.
A disabled vehicle on I-287 northbound south of Exit 33 for Harter Road/US 202 in Harding Township closed the right lane as of 8:20 a.m., adding to the already heavy morning traffic.
On I-295 southbound, a crash north of Exit 36 for NJ 73 in Mount Laurel Township closed the right shoulder as of 8:18 a.m. Motorists were urged to exercise caution while navigating the area.
A collision on the George Washington Bridge’s upper level eastbound near the New Jersey side in Fort Lee blocked one center lane as of 7:51 a.m., leading to delays on one of the region’s busiest crossings.
The New Jersey Turnpike also saw significant disruptions, including a crash on the inner roadway northbound south of Interchange 13 for I-278/Goethals Bridge in Linden at 7:28 a.m., blocking one left lane and the shoulder. Additional delays stretched from Interchange 13 in Linden to Interchange 14 in Elizabeth due to rubbernecking from the earlier crash, causing a four-mile backup.
Elsewhere, the Garden State Parkway experienced delays on both its northbound and southbound sides. Southbound traffic slowed from south of Exit 149 in Bloomfield to south of Exit 147 in East Orange, with a two-mile delay as of 8:21 a.m. Northbound traffic saw longer delays stretching four miles from south of Exit 149 to Exit 153A in Clifton.
With multiple incidents and heavy volumes, some delays reached as long as eight miles, including on the Garden State Parkway northbound from Woodbridge Township to Union Township, where all lanes remained open but slow as of 8:18 a.m.