North Jersey Traffic Alert: Vehicle Fire Shuts Down Route 17, Delays Build at Hudson Crossings

A vehicle fire on Route 17 in Rochelle Park and lane-blocking incidents near the Lincoln Tunnel and on Route 440 were among the most urgent traffic problems across North Jersey as of early this afternoon, with additional delays and construction affecting major commuter routes from Bergen and Hudson counties to Morris, Essex, Union and Passaic.

The most serious active incident is on Route 17 southbound north of Central Avenue in Rochelle Park, where all lanes were closed as of 12:14 p.m. because of a vehicle fire. Drivers in the area should expect significant backups and seek alternate routes.

At the Lincoln Tunnel, a disabled vehicle in the south tunnel eastbound was blocking the right lane as of 12:18 p.m. That came as delays were also building at the George Washington Bridge upper level eastbound, where travel time had reached 20 minutes on I-95 from I-80 to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge as of 12:13 p.m. The upper level also has a right lane closure tied to construction until 4:30 p.m.

In Jersey City, a disabled tractor-trailer on Route 440 northbound at U.S. 1&9 Truck Route/Communipaw Avenue was blocking the left lane of two as of 11:59 a.m. The Hudson County Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike was also dealing with eastbound roadwork between Grand Street and Jersey Avenue/Holland Tunnel, with one right lane closed. Separate ramp work remained in place entering at Interchange 14A near the Bayonne Bridge, where the left half of the eastbound ramp is closed for repairs until 4 p.m.

In Newark, drivers were facing a cluster of closures around the port area. Pothole repairs on Corbin Street northbound from Kellogg Street to Outer Port Street had all lanes closed and detoured as of 11:53 a.m. Long-term construction is also affecting Inner Port Street, Corbin Street and the Port Street ramp to Corbin Street, with closures and detours in place through March 31.

Elsewhere in the region, the Garden State Parkway northbound was seeing a two-mile delay from south of Exit 151 in Bloomfield to Exit 153A at Route 3 in Clifton as of 11:37 a.m. The Bayonne Bridge had a right lane closed in both directions until 2 p.m. with a 35 mph speed restriction in place.

For Morris County and the surrounding area, several work zones were active but generally remained partial closures rather than full shutdowns. On Route 23 southbound between I-287 in Riverdale and Alexander Avenue in Pequannock, the right lane was closed until 3 p.m. On I-287 southbound between Exit 58 in Oakland and Exit 52 in Montville, the right lane was also closed until 3 p.m. Multiple construction zones were active along Route 46, including westbound lane closures in Denville, Rockaway and Parsippany-Troy Hills, plus an eastbound left lane closure between Mountain Lakes and Parsippany. Route 24 eastbound in Florham Park had a right shoulder closure near Exit 2/Columbia Turnpike until 4:30 p.m.

Additional trouble spots included NJ 3 eastbound in North Bergen, NJ 120/Paterson Plank Road in East Rutherford, and multiple closures tied to major ongoing construction near the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. Some of those Fort Lee detours, including closures affecting Center Avenue and Bruce Reynolds Boulevard, are expected to remain in place for months.

The broad picture for North Jersey drivers this afternoon is a mix of emergency incidents and widespread daytime construction. The most urgent problems are on Route 17 in Rochelle Park, at the Lincoln Tunnel, around the George Washington Bridge, and through the Newark/Jersey City freight and port corridors. Anyone heading into Bergen, Hudson, Essex or Morris County should expect slower travel and check for updates before getting on the road.