Monday commute mess: Route 1&9 closure, NJ Transit schedule changes
LINDEN — New Jersey commuters face several challenges to start the week on the roads and rails.
A fatal crash around 2:15 a.m. between a truck cab and a car on northbound Routes 1&9, at Pleasant Avenue in Linden, closed the road in both directions between Avenue C and West Grand Avenue, according to Linden Police, who at 6 a.m. expected the road to be closed for several more hours.
The two occupants of the car were both taken to Newark University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The driver of the truck cab was not injured. Police did not disclose the identities of those involved in the crash or the circumstances of the incident as it remained under investigation.
Drivers using Routes 1&9 northbound to get to the Goethals Bridge will be detoured onto Barnett Street and Lower Road to get around the closure.
The ramp from eastbound Route 78 to northbound Route 287 was closed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation for "emergency" roadwork at the start of the Monday morning commute. A message for the DOT to learn the nature of the emergency work has not yet been returned.
A crash on Route 1 northbound at Perry Street in Trenton backed up traffic into Bucks County around 8 a.m.
NJ Transit riders dealt with new schedules which include the temporary suspension of 18 trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton, and Main and Bergen lines. The Dinky from Princeton to Princeton Junction is also suspended.
The suspensions are designed to avoid the last-minute cancellation of trains as the railroad tries to meet a Dec. 31 deadline for the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC). The changes are also expected to lead to overcrowded trains and possible delays.
However, engineer callouts, the other factor that leads to the cancellations, could not be avoided, with at least three trains cancelled due to "manpower shortages."
Morris & Essex
- 8:20 a.m. (#6324) from Summit due to a manpower shortage
- 5:54 a.m. (#6610) from Dover due to a manpower shortage
- 5:01 a.m. (#6604) from Dover due to a manpower shortage.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.
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