You’re sitting there, hands on the wheel, staring at a sea of brake lights. We’ve all been there. If you are looking at gw bridge traffic now, you probably want to know why the upper level is crawling or if the lower level is actually the "secret" shortcut people claim it is.
Honestly, the George Washington Bridge is a bit of a beast today, January 13, 2026. If you haven’t checked the news, a major rehabilitation project just kicked into a new gear yesterday.
The Center Avenue Bridge work in Fort Lee is basically the reason your GPS is screaming at you right now. Since Monday, January 12, the right lanes and the sidewalk on the northbound Center Avenue bridge—which sits right over the GWB approach—have been shut down. It's part of the massive $2 billion "Restoring the George" program. They say it’ll last until September 2026.
That means if you’re trying to navigate the local streets in Fort Lee to cut the line, you’re going to hit a wall of detours.
The 2026 Toll Reality Check
Did you notice your E-ZPass statement looking a little heavier lately? You aren't imagining things. As of January 4, 2026, the Port Authority hiked the rates again.
If you’re crossing during peak hours—that’s 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays—you’re now shelling out $16.79 with a NY or NJ E-ZPass. If you’re one of the folks still getting "Toll-by-Plate" mailers, brace yourself: that rate has hit a staggering $22.38.
It’s expensive to sit in traffic.
Current Crossing Times and the "Lower Level" Myth
Right now, the Upper Level toward New York is seeing roughly a 40-minute delay, while the Lower Level is clocking in closer to 15 minutes. This changes by the second. People always ask: "Is the lower level always faster?"
Not really.
Trucks are restricted to the upper level, which usually makes the lower level feel "zippier" for passenger cars. But when there’s a stall or a fender bender on the lower level, there is nowhere for that traffic to go. It becomes a steel trap.
Why today is particularly messy
- Construction: The Center Avenue overpass work is causing "rubbernecking" on the main approach.
- Residual Volume: It’s Tuesday. Statistically, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are some of the heaviest volume days for mid-week commuters.
- Weather: We’ve got some lingering dampness on the roads, and as any local knows, a single raindrop in North Jersey adds ten minutes to the commute.
Navigating the Fort Lee Detours
If you usually take Bruce Reynolds Boulevard to get onto the bridge, stop. Just stop.
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Until June 2026, you can’t turn left from Bruce Reynolds onto Center Avenue. The Port Authority has set up a convoluted detour that sends you up Lemoine Avenue and back around Bridge Plaza North. It is adding a solid 10 to 15 minutes to the local approach.
If you are coming from I-95 Westbound (the Jersey-bound side) and trying to get to Center Avenue, that ramp is also closed. You’re being forced to Exit 73 toward Hudson Terrace. It’s a mess, and the local Fort Lee police are out in force trying to manage the gridlock.
Real-Time Strategies for the GWB
Don't just trust the big green signs. They’re often 5 minutes behind the reality on the ground.
- Check the "Transcom" feeds: This is what the pros use. It gives you the actual speed of traffic, not just "heavy" or "light."
- Listen to 1010 WINS or 880: Yeah, it’s old school, but their traffic "on the ones" is still the fastest way to hear about a fresh accident before Google Maps even turns the line red.
- The 10:00 p.m. Rule: If you can wait until after 10:00 p.m., the truck tolls drop for the overnight shift, but surprisingly, the bridge often clears out for passenger cars around then too.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Commute
Check the Port Authority’s "Crossing Times" dashboard specifically for the "Lower Level vs. Upper Level" split before you hit the Alexander Hamilton Bridge or the I-95 split. If the difference is more than 10 minutes, take the shorter path, but stay in the middle lanes—breakdowns almost always happen in the right or left breakdown lanes, causing immediate bottlenecks.
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Keep an eye on the Center Avenue detour signs if you’re a local driver; the patterns are scheduled to shift again in July 2026, so your "secret route" today might be a dead end tomorrow.