Flood waters and downed trees are wreaking havoc on New Jersey's highways, causing dangerous driving conditions on highways throughout the Garden State, including parts of the New Jersey Turnpike, according to the state Department of Transportation.
As of 4:11 a.m., there was standing water on all lanes New Jersey Turnpike north of the Garden State Parkway exit ramp in Woodbridge, and transit officials are urging drivers to use caution traveling through the area, according to Commuter511.com, the official accident alert web site for the state Department of Transportation.
The storm also caused highway officials to ban tractor trailers, motorcycles and recreational vehicles from crossing the Betsy Ross, Walt Whitman and Commodore Berry Bridges in the southern part of the state, the web site reported.
Rising water and felled tree limbs throughout the state caused were also causing scattered reports of highway closures throughout Somerset, Monmouth and Ocean Counties as of 4:30 a.m., according to the web site.
By 4:40 a.m., flooding led to a shut down of Route 35 in both directions near Neptune City, Route 44 near West Deptford Township, Route 79 near Freehold Twp., Route 9 in Marlboro Township and several other major thoroughfares near the shore line, according to Commuter511. Downed trees were also responsible for partial lane closures on Route 35 near Eatontown, Route 1 near Lawrence Township and Route 31 south of Washington Township.
Earlier in the night, Mike Oppegaard, director of Monmouth County's Office of Emergency Management, said flooding and downed trees had shut down parts of Route 9 and Routes 18 and 33. Mayor Cory Booker was also reporting several street closures in Newark as the deluge pounded the state's largest city throughout the morning.