Truck Stuck In Snow Closes I-78 West In Bedminster

BEDMINSTER — All lanes and exit 29 on Interstate 78 westbound closed because of a truck stuck in the snow, according to state officials. 511NJ.org reported the closure at 2:13 p.m. Monday.

State officials stopped reporting the blockage at about 4 p.m. Monday. But authorities have advised people to stay off roads.

The winter storm has hit Somerset County arguably harder than anywhere in New Jersey. The National Weather Service has reported 19 inches in Bridgewater, 17.5 in Somerville and 17 in Branchburg as of Monday afternoon.

New Jersey State Police responded to 340 crashes and 295 other calls for help on the road between 6 p.m. Sunday and noon Monday.

Gov. Phil Murphy told people that they need to get off the roads because it’s “dangerous,” and he said roads should be clear so crews can make sure essential vehicles get through. That would include the vehicles transporting the coronavirus vaccine.

“This is a big one,” Murphy said during his Monday news conference, telling New Jersey residents, “If you don’t need to be out, don’t go out."

Murphy said the early afternoon will be the “teeth” of the storm and the state Department of Transportation has 3,900 pieces of equipment deployed to deal with the storm. Murphy also said the storm will likely last until Tuesday night.

With reporting from Nicole Rosenthal/Patch