If you're staring at the brake lights of a Honda in front of you on the NJ Turnpike right now, you aren't alone. Honestly, New Jersey traffic is basically its own subculture at this point. But this week—specifically starting January 15, 2026—things are getting a bit weirder than usual. We’ve got a mix of major bridge rehabs, some long-term highway digging, and a massive shift in how you get to Newark Airport.
The Newark Airport "AirTrain" Headache
Let's talk about EWR first because this is the big one. Starting today, Thursday, January 15, the AirTrain service to and from the actual Airport Train Station is going dark during the heart of the day. We're talking 5:00 AM to 3:00 PM every single weekday.
Why? They’re finally pushing hard on the $3.5 billion replacement project. The old system is, frankly, ancient. If you’re coming in via NJ Transit or Amtrak, you’re not hopping on a monorail. You’re hopping on a shuttle bus.
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- The Route: Shuttle buses are running from the Airport Train Station to Terminals A, B, and C.
- The Wait: Expect to add at least 20 minutes to your trek.
- The Exception: AirTrain still runs between the terminals once you're actually on airport grounds.
Turnpike and Garden State Parkway: The "Night Shift" Scramble
The NJ Turnpike Authority isn't making it easy on the night owls this week. If you’re driving the Western Spur southbound between Kearny (Exit 15W) and Newark (Exit 15E), they’ve got barrier repairs and milling happening through Friday morning. One lane is closed, but it’s enough to bottleneck the whole stretch.
The Parkway is even more of a patchwork quilt.
Down in Old Bridge and Sayreville, the local lanes northbound are losing two out of three lanes overnight for paving. This is happening near the Jon Bon Jovi Service Area—so if you were planning a late-night snack stop, maybe keep driving.
Up north, the George Washington Bridge (GWB) approach is a mess of orange cones. The Center Avenue bridge rehab just kicked off its 2026 phase on Monday. They’ve closed the right lanes and the sidewalk on the northbound side. You can't even turn left from Bruce Reynolds Boulevard onto Center Avenue anymore.
The $86 Million Route 18 Grind
If you live in Middlesex County, you already know the Route 18 rehabilitation in East Brunswick is a slow-motion nightmare. It’s an $86.1 million project that isn’t scheduled to wrap up until the fall. Right now, they’re deep into drainage and utility relocation.
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It’s not just the paving; it’s the fact that they’re rebuilding the stormwater basins. Basically, when it rains, this stretch used to turn into a lake. The fix is necessary, but the daily lane shifts near Edgeboro Road are enough to make anyone want to take the back roads through Milltown.
What Most People Get Wrong About NJ Construction
Most commuters think the "Summer Construction Season" is the only time to worry. In reality, New Jersey’s 2026 Capital Program is a $5.3 billion beast that doesn't sleep for winter.
- Bridge Safety: The Route 4 Hackensack River Bridge is officially on the "to-do" list for this year. It was built in 1931. It’s old.
- The Gateway Project: Those massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) are arriving in North Bergen this month. While they’re underground, the surface-level staging on Tonnelle Avenue is still causing minor "rubbernecking" delays.
- Local Projects: Morris County just got $9 million to fix up 38 intersections on the Newark Pompton Turnpike. If you’re in Pequannock, expect new signals and "pedestrian refuges" to start appearing soon.
South Jersey isn't Spared
Down in Atlantic County, the Egg Harbor and Pleasantville tolls are still in a permanent state of lane-shifting. They are dismantling the old out-of-service booths. It’s narrow, it’s slow, and the speed limit drops fast. Watch your speedometer there; the state troopers love that corridor.
Actionable Advice for Your Drive
Stop relying on the radio for your traffic update New Jersey info. It’s usually five minutes late.
- Check 511NJ: It’s the official DOT feed and it’s surprisingly accurate for real-time lane closures.
- The "Airport Hack": If you’re heading to EWR during the 5 AM - 3 PM window, just take a rideshare or the bus directly to the terminal. Avoiding the train-to-shuttle-to-terminal triple-transfer will save your sanity.
- Pascack Valley Tolls: If you’re on the Parkway tonight (Jan 15), the EZ-Pass lanes at the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza are closing at 11:00 PM for sign repairs. Don't be the person who has to swerve into the cash lane last second.
The reality is that New Jersey is the most densely populated state with some of the oldest infrastructure in the country. We’re in a "fix-it-now" cycle that won't end anytime soon. Keep an eye on the overhead digital signs—they actually updated the messaging system this year to be more specific about why you're stopped.
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Plan for an extra 15 minutes. Always. Even if the map says green.