Major traffic delays on Turnpike, I-195 and Robbinsville roads
By Joanne Degnan, Managing Editor
ROBBINSVILLE — A fiery crash that killed a dump truck driver on the NJ Turnpike near Exit 7A and forced the shutdown of the Turnpike and Interstate 195 in both directions Wednesday has been causing gridlock on both highways and local roads in the Robbinsville area.
Turnpike traffic was tied up for miles and, locally, Route 526 and Route 130 were experiencing major traffic delays Wednesday afternoon due to congestion caused by traffic being detoured away from the accident scene.
State Police Sgt. Brian Polite said the crash occurred about 10 a.m. near Exit 7A when a dump truck traveling southbound struck the center median and then burst into flames beneath an I-195 bridge that carries traffic over the Turnpike.
”The truck was fully engulfed in flames,” Sgt. Polite said. The fire and damage to the bridge forced the shutdown of I-195 above in both directions as well.
The name of the driver who was killed has not been released, nor has the name of the company that owned the truck, Sgt. Police said.
NJ Turnpike spokesman Tom Feeney said there have been reports that the truck experienced some type of mechanical problem prior to the crash, but that is currently under investigation.
The northbound lanes of the Turnpike were reopened at 3 p.m., approximately five hours after the accident, as were the eastbound lanes of Interstate 195, according Mr. Feeney.
Southbound traffic on the Turnpike continues to be detoured off the highway at Exit 9. Cars and trucks that were already on the Turnpike near Exit 7A when the accident occurred and became stranded when the road was shut down were finally able to start slowly moving again at 3 p.m.
”We were able to open one southbound lane for the people who have been stuck there so they are able to squeeze by the accident scene,” Mr. Feeney said.
Robbinsville Police Chief Marty Masseroni said traffic on the Turnpike was backed up for miles in both directions for hours after the accident occurred.
”No one could move,” Chief Masseroni said. “Cars were parked and people were sitting on the concrete medians, waiting.”
Tim Greeley, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the dump truck involved “did not directly impact the bridge pier or abutment” and that the damage to the I-195 bridge “was mostly from the fire.”
DOT engineers were at the accident scene Wednesday afternoon assessing the extent of the damage and there was no immediate word on when the westbound lanes of I-195 would be reopened, Mr. Greeley said.
Mr. Greeley said there are two I-195 bridges that pass over the Turnpike in Robbinsville and both are being replaced because of the Turnpike widening project, which requires the bridges to be longer in order to span the wider highway.
One bridge has been closed since July 2011 for reconstruction and the remaining bridge that would normally carry four lanes of traffic eastbound has had its traffic pattern reconfigured to handle two westbound lanes of traffic and two eastbound lanes. It was this second bridge with the reconfigured traffic pattern that was involved in Wednesday’s crash, he said.

