A large tractor-trailer overturned on Route 1&9 (the stretch that overlaps with Route 46) in Fort Lee on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 31, blocking all lanes in both directions south of Bergen Boulevard. Traffic between Fort Lee and Palisades Park and Ridgefield is heavily backed up, and drivers are advised to take local roads around the area.
On the morning of Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, a large tractor-trailer overturned in Fort Lee, blocking a major road in an area with a large Korean American population. According to 511NJ, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) traffic information service, a tractor-trailer overturned south of Bergen Blvd. on Route 1&9 in Fort Lee at around 10:37 a.m., and all northbound and southbound lanes were closed.
This stretch, where Route 1&9 and Route 46 overlap, connects Fort Lee with Palisades Park and Ridgefield. The closure had still not been lifted after noon, leaving traffic from Fort Lee toward Palisades Park and Ridgefield heavily congested.
It is not yet known whether anyone was injured or how the crash happened. No announcement has been made on when the road will reopen. Because it takes time to upright and tow a large tractor-trailer, the congestion could last into the afternoon.
How to Get Around It
If you need to travel between Fort Lee and Palisades Park or Ridgefield, it is best to use local roads such as Grand Avenue or Broad Avenue instead of Routes 1&9 and 46. However, these roads may also be busier than usual as detouring vehicles crowd onto them. If you are heading to the George Washington Bridge (GWB), some access ramps near Center Avenue are closed for construction, so check your route before you leave.
Real-time closure information and detours are available on the 511NJ website (511nj.org) or on navigation apps such as Google Maps and Waze. Because it is Halloween, more children and vehicles will be in residential neighborhoods starting in the afternoon, so drivers should be especially careful to slow down on neighborhood streets used as detours.