In wake of N.J. Turnpike crash, traffic on I-195 bridge may be snarled for weeks

A travel nightmare for commuters trying to get to work in Trenton is expected to last for several weeks following a fatal accident on Wednesday.

There’s some damage to the beams on the Interstate 195 overpass caused by a truck that crashed and burst into flames on the New Jersey Turnpike. The truck driver was killed in the crash, authorities say.

Department of Transportation spokesman Joe Dee says both eastbound lanes of the bridge are open, but westbound traffic on 195 is being restricted to one lane until a new bridge that’s been under construction there is completed.

“In the worst-case scenario, this configuration will persist for roughly two months,” Dee said. “However, the Turnpike is working with its contractor to see if they can accelerate the project to shave some weeks off of that estimated completion time.”

About 30,000 cars a day usually travel over that bridge. Having only one westbound lane is causing major delays for drivers or forcing them onto local roads for slower morning commutes.