Truck crash in Route 78 work zone creates huge delays in NJ

BERKELEY HEIGHTS — The afternoon commute on westbound Route 78 will be a rough one as two lanes will be closed following a tractor-trailer crash in a work zone.

The crash near Exit 43 for Diamond Hill Road around 12:30 p.m. involved the truck hitting construction vehicles that also resulted in a fuel spill, according to the NJ DOT. There were no injuries resulting from the crash.

State Police Sgt. Philip Curry told New Jersey 101.5 a preliminary investigation showed a Freightliner tractor trailer struck a crash truck that was in the work zone. The tractor trailer continued forward and struck a water truck causing it to strike a pump truck. The Union County Fire and Hazmat responded to the scene after all three tricks had leaks from their fuel tanks, according to Curry.

Delays for commuters headed for Route 78 started on the southbound Parkway in East Orange as of 3:30 p.m. Route 22 was picking up extra volume as drivers tried to avoid Route 78. The was also a westbound rubbernecking delay on eastbound Route 78.

DOT said that all lanes will reopen sometime Thursday evening.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ