New Jersey and New York have experienced significant traffic jams on Tuesday, September 10, due to a motorcycle crash in the Lincoln Tunnel early that morning. As a result, traffic was backed up, leading to several additional accidents. Compounding the situation, Penn Station in New York announced a system outage due to a power failure, causing further issues for commuters.
NYC commuters stuck in Lincoln Tunnel for up to 90 minutes during rush hour after disabled bus snarls traffic https://t.co/OiR22lxH1n pic.twitter.com/IodD8efaE7
— New York Post (@nypost) September 10, 2024
The chaos began around 4:00 a.m. ET inside the tunnel, where a motorcycle crashed in the westbound lane. The tunnel was eventually cleared, allowing traffic to pass through. However, with the middle tunnel closed, drivers were diverted to the southbound tunnel, resulting in severe traffic jams.
The situation worsened when a car overturned and a bus with a flat tire became stuck inside the tunnel. According to ABC 7 News New York, one driver reported being stuck in traffic for four hours, although his usual commute takes only 25 minutes.
The Lincoln Tunnel South Tube to NY has a delay of 10-15 minutes. Earlier incident at the Center Tube has cleared. All lanes are open.
— Lincoln Tunnel (@PANYNJ_LT) September 10, 2024
By 10:24 a.m. on Tuesday, the Lincoln Tunnel account on X reported, “The Lincoln Tunnel South Tube to NY has a delay of 10-15 minutes. Earlier incident at the Center Tube has cleared. All lanes are open,” indicating that traffic began to ease.
Rail service into Penn Station New York is suspended due to overhead wire issues in the Hudson River Tunnels. Midtown Direct service is being diverted to Hoboken. NJ TRANSIT bus and private carriers are crossing honoring rail tickets and passes.
— Northeast Corridor (@NJTRANSIT_NEC) September 10, 2024
In addition to the problems around the Lincoln Tunnel, commuter routes were further disrupted as transit services at Penn Station were suspended due to power outages. According to New Jersey Transit, “Rail service into Penn Station New York is suspended due to overhead wire issues in the Hudson River Tunnels. Midtown Direct service is being diverted to Hoboken. NJ TRANSIT bus and private carriers are cross-honoring rail tickets and passes.”
1 of 2: Rail service in and out of Penn Station New York is subject to up to 30-minute delays due to an earlier Amtrak power outage in the Hudson River Tunnels.
— Northeast Corridor (@NJTRANSIT_NEC) September 10, 2024
The most recent update from Northeast Corridor New Jersey Transit indicates that service is back on track but still experiencing delays. They posted on X, “1 of 2: Rail service in and out of Penn Station New York is subject to up to 30-minute delays due to an earlier Amtrak power outage in the Hudson River Tunnels.”