Traffic Slows Across North Jersey: Crashes, Delays, and Widespread Construction

As of late Thursday morning, North Jersey travelers face multiple delays due to a crash on the NJ Turnpike, extended wait times at key Hudson River crossings, and over 50 active construction sites on major highways.

North Jersey commuters encountered significant travel disruptions Thursday morning, as a combination of crashes, tunnel and bridge delays, emergency maintenance, and widespread construction activities affected nearly every major transportation corridor.

As of 11:05 a.m., a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike outer roadway northbound, just south of Interchange 13 (I-278/Goethals Bridge) in Linden, blocked two left lanes, further complicating travel on one of the state's most critical north-south routes.

Meanwhile, motorists attempting to enter New York from New Jersey faced delays at all three major Hudson River crossings:

• At 11:30 a.m., the Holland Tunnel’s eastbound South Tunnel from Jersey City saw delays, though all lanes remained open. Travel time was 25 minutes from Turnpike Exit 14C and from NJ 139 at Tonnelle Circle.

• The George Washington Bridge reported delays on both decks as of 11:29 a.m.:

  • Upper level eastbound: 20-minute travel time on I-95 from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge.

  • Lower level eastbound: 15-minute travel time on the same route.

• At the Lincoln Tunnel, delays were reported as of 11:28 a.m. in both the center and south tunnels eastbound, with 15-minute travel times from Turnpike Exit 16E to the New York side.

Elsewhere in Passaic County, I-80 drivers faced trouble spots:

• As of 10:05 a.m., emergency maintenance west of Exit 60 (NJ 20) in Paterson resulted in the closure of one of three lanes in both directions.

• Eastbound delays were noted from Exit 57 (NJ 19) to Exit 60, and westbound delays were present near Exit 60 as of 10:24 a.m. All lanes were open in both cases.

Widespread Construction Impacts Region

Commuters across North Jersey are also navigating an extensive patchwork of ongoing construction, with more than 50 active projects reported across interstates, state highways, and local roads.

Major affected highways include:

• I-80: Multiple work zones, including at Exit 56 (Woodland Park) with the Exit 56B ramp closed until 3:00 p.m. on November 18, 2025, and shoulder closures from Totowa to Paterson, Hope Township, and Elmwood Park.

• US 46: Westbound and eastbound construction across Denville, Mount Olive, Knowlton, South Hackensack, and Little Falls, with various lanes and shoulders closed through the day.

• NJ 23: Lane closures in Kinnelon, Butler, Hardyston, Riverdale, Wantage, and Sussex—many lasting until 3:00 p.m. or later.

• I-280: Lane closures in both directions near CR 508 in Kearny until 3:00 p.m.

• NJ 3: Eastbound work near Clifton and Secaucus with right lane closures lasting into the afternoon.

• George Washington Bridge: Eastbound upper level construction from Fort Lee to New York, closing one right lane until 4:30 p.m.

Additional closures have been reported along:

• NJ 17, NJ 94, NJ 181, NJ 27, NJ 57, I-78, I-287, and NJ 7, affecting towns such as Hasbrouck Heights, Rutherford, Hamburg, Washington Township, and Parsippany-Troy Hills.

• Local roads like Marin Blvd (Jersey City to Hoboken) and Port Street/Corbin Street (Newark) are experiencing full closures related to long-term infrastructure work lasting through December 2025.

Today’s traffic landscape across North Jersey highlights the cumulative impact of simultaneous infrastructure improvement projects, emergency repairs, and peak-hour incidents. While none of the reported incidents involved complete highway closures, the compounding effect of partial lane closures and regional chokepoints is significantly increasing travel times for residents and commercial drivers alike.

Drivers are encouraged to check real-time traffic updates before traveling and to allow for extended travel times, particularly when crossing into Manhattan or using major corridors like the Turnpike, I-80, US 46, and NJ 23.