You're sitting there, hands gripping the steering wheel, staring at a sea of brake lights that stretches toward the horizon. It's frustrating. It's the East Coast's most infamous artery, and today, it's living up to its reputation. If you're wondering why is traffic stopped on I-95 today, the answer isn't just one simple fender bender.
Honestly, it’s a mess of overlapping issues. Between New England and Florida, a series of serious accidents and pre-planned construction projects have created a perfect storm for commuters this Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The big slowdowns in the Northeast
Connecticut is arguably the biggest headache right now. In Branford, the I-95 Southbound Exit 56 on-ramp was completely shut down earlier today due to emergency road work. If you were trying to merge there, you basically had to find a whole new zip code to get on the highway.
Further north in East Lyme, they’ve been doing ledge blasting. Yeah, literally blowing up rock. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has been pausing traffic for about 10 minutes at a time between 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM. It sounds short, but in I-95 time, a 10-minute full stop turns into a 5-mile backup in the blink of an eye.
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Then there’s Philadelphia. If you’re heading Northbound near Penn’s Landing, you’ve probably noticed the Lombard Circle and Columbus Boulevard ramp is just... gone. It’s closed for a massive long-term project that isn't slated to wrap up for another couple of years. People are still getting used to the detours, which is causing a ripple effect through the city.
The Mid-Atlantic and Jersey gridlock
New Jersey is, well, New Jersey. The Turnpike—which is just I-95 in a fancy suit—is seeing heavy delays near Newark. Crews have been working on guard rail repairs and paving operations between the Inner/Outer Roadway split and the Southern Mixing Bowl.
Last night's work bled into the morning commute, and a few lingering lane closures near Teaneck didn't help.
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In Maryland, specifically near Baltimore, things got hairy this evening. A vehicle fire on the I-695 Inner Loop near Liberty Road—right where the beltway meets I-95—choked off traffic for hours. On top of that, there's been active roadwork on I-95 North past the I-695 interchange, with at least two lanes closed for "other" maintenance.
Basically, if you’re moving through Baltimore tonight, you’re going to be crawling.
Florida’s overnight and daytime chaos
Florida always seems to have something going on, and today is no different. Down in Jupiter, the Southbound I-95 ramp to Eastbound Indiantown Road is seeing some heavy action. They’ve got it closed for a major project, forcing everyone to detour to Westbound Indiantown Road and pull a U-turn at the Florida Turnpike.
In Miami-Dade, the Golden Glades area is still a nightmare. They’ve had a week of overnight full closures, and the Northbound exit to NW 151st Street (Exit 11) is still closed around the clock.
Why the delays feel worse today
It’s not just the accidents. We’ve also got:
- Ledge Blasting: As mentioned in CT, this creates "shockwave" traffic.
- Long-term Bridge Work: In Providence, Rhode Island, lanes are narrowed and shifted near the Eddy Street overpass.
- Winter Maintenance: Several states are playing catch-up on pothole repairs and barrier fixes following the early January cold snaps.
Check your GPS apps. Seriously. Waze or Google Maps are your best friends because the situation on I-95 changes every 15 minutes.
How to actually get through this
If you're stuck, the best thing you can do is look for those "local" alternates, though even those are likely clogged by now. In Maryland, I-895 is often a decent backup, but even that has roadwork near Exit 1 today.
Keep an eye on the overhead signs. They usually have the most up-to-date info on exactly how many miles the backup lasts. If you see a "Full Closure" sign ahead, don't wait—exit as soon as you safely can.
Log onto the official state DOT portals like Maryland’s CHART or CTroads for the most granular data. They show the actual camera feeds so you can see if the "stopped traffic" is just a slow crawl or a literal parking lot.
Check your tire pressure and fuel levels before hitting the road this week, as several more "ledge blasting" sessions and overnight paving projects are scheduled through Friday.