Bridge deck hole creates commuter nightmare on Routes 80, 46 in Morris

A hole in the bridge deck of Route 80 in Morris County created a traffic nightmare on Friday morning.

New Jersey Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Israel said the hole was on the highway eastbound in Netcong as it passes over Route 46 east of exit No. 27 for Route 206. It caused crews to be called out in the early hours of Friday morning and closed down all but one lane at the start of the morning commute.

Israel confirmed that small pieces of concrete and pavement were falling onto Route 46 eastbound and caused all traffic on that road to be diverted onto the shoulder.

New Jersey Fast Traffic's Bob Williams said that compounding the problems for commuters was an accident investigation on Route 206 in Mount Olive that closed the road between Bridges Road and Hermanne Drive

Israel did not know the cause of the hole or know when repairs would be complete.