A massive sinkhole opened on Interstate 80 eastbound through Morris County, N.J., backing up traffic one day after Christmas.
The sinkhole opened up around 7:30 a.m. in the shoulder and encroached into the far right lane of eastbound I-80 north of Wharton, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said in a press release.
Because the sinkhole opened just after exit 34, officials recommended a detour from the exit down to New Jersey Route 15 and through Wharton. According to NJDOT data, it was taking motorists 80-90 minutes to travel 5 miles from U.S. Route 46 in Ledgewood to Exit 34 to Wharton.
“NJDOT crews are evaluating the situation and designing a repair,” the department wrote in its press release. “The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website…for construction updates.”
No timeline was provided for reopening I-80 eastbound. The detour and construction will continue “until further notice,” the department said. Westbound traffic was not affected.
Traffic was also slow in the afternoon around Newark Liberty International Airport, with many holiday travelers expected to take to the skies one day after Christmas.
There were additional delays on the Cross Bronx Expressway and the George Washington Bridge. Those delays were caused by standard traffic and no special incidents, according to data from the New York State Department of Transportation. Elsewhere throughout the area, traffic was moving normally.
The sinkhole on I-80 wasn’t the only highway traffic problem across the U.S. over the Christmas holiday. On I-70 in Colorado, significant snowfall in the mountains prompted warnings from local officials to stay in Denver over the holiday. And on I-65 south of Indianapolis, a crash caused significant backups on Thursday.
