New Jersey
North Jersey traffic: Highway construction and paving leads to lane closures
Daytime and overnight construction will close lanes on interstates 80 and 287, U.S. highways 9W and 46, and state routes 4 and 20.
The Prudential Center hosts the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic basketball games on Saturday.
Getting into and out of Hoboken from Jersey City will be slower than usual, as a portion of Marin Boulevard is closed for water main work through Feb. 9; and in Jersey City, there will be closures on various roads through March 1.
Visit 511nj.org for up-to-date traffic information and real-time traffic cameras from throughout the state, or call 511.
Bergen County traffic
- Utility work on Route 9W southbound will close the right lane near John Street in Englewood Cliffs, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 29 through Feb. 2.
- On Route 4 eastbound, paving operations will close the right lane near Arcadian Street in Paramus, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 29, Jan. 30 and Feb. 2.
- On Route 1&9, construction will close the roadway near Ridgefield Circle, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., Jan. 29 through March 4.
- Horse racing at Meadowlands Racetrack at 6:20 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays may cause some extra congestion in the area.
Should you warm up your car? Cold weather tips to keep it moving this winter
Essex County traffic
- On the New Jersey Turnpike southbound, the inner roadway will be closed for steel repairs between exit 14 in Newark and exit 6 in Mansfield, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Jan. 29 through Feb. 1. The outer roadway will be closed for construction, 9 p.m. Feb. 2 to 5 a.m. Feb. 3.
- On the Garden State Parkway southbound, construction will close three lanes at the Essex Toll Plaza in Bloomfield, 10 p.m. Jan. 31 to 5 a.m. Feb. 1.
- The Prudential Center hosts the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic basketball games, with Grambling State vs. Jackson State and Hampton University vs. Howard University, 1 p.m. Feb. 3.
Hudson County traffic
- On the New Jersey Turnpike Hudson County Extension eastbound construction will close the right lane near exit 14B in Jersey City, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Jan. 29 through Jan. 31.
- In Jersey City, portions of Communipaw, Newark and St. Pauls avenues; Fifth, Grand, South and Montgomery streets; and Marin Boulevard will have closures through March 1.
- Marin Boulevard will be closed in both directions for water main work between 18th Street in Jersey City and Henderson Street in Hoboken, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays through Feb. 9. Drivers are encouraged to use Grove Street or Jersey Avenue or northern routes into and out of Hoboken.
Morris County traffic
- On Route 46, a moving operation will close the right lane in both directions between Main Street in Rockaway and I-80 in Denville, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Jan. 29 through Feb. 2. Utility work will close the eastbound right lane near Willow Grove Street in Washington Township, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 29.
- On I-80 eastbound, the left lane will be closed for roadwork near exit 42 in Parsippany, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 29.
- On I-287 southbound, the right lane will be closed for roadwork near exit 52 in Kinnelon, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 29.
Passaic County traffic
- On Route 20, construction will close the right lane in both directions between 21st Avenue and Vreeland Avenue in Paterson, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 29 through Feb. 2.
- On I-80 westbound, the right lane will be closed for roadwork near exit 54, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 29; and between exits 60 and 58 in Paterson, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Jan. 29 through Feb. 2.
- On Route 46 eastbound, up to two lanes will be closed between the Garden State Parkway and Route 20 in Clifton, 9 p.m. Jan. 29 to 6 a.m. Jan. 30. One lane will be closed on the ramp from Valley Road, 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 30. The right lane will be closed between Browertown and Rifle Camp roads in Little Falls, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 30.
- On the Garden State Parkway northbound, pothole repair will close up to two lanes between exits 153A and 155B in Clifton, 10 p.m. Jan. 30 to 5 a.m., Jan. 31.
Sussex County
- On Route 206, gas main work will close the right lane in both directions near Waterloo Road in Byram, 9 p.m. Jan. 29 to 5 a.m. Jan. 30.
New Jersey
This spicy pasta was the best thing we ate in North Jersey this week
North Jersey food truck makes Thanksgiving egg rolls
Looking for something unique to serve this Thanksgiving? Try a Pumpkin Pie (or Gobbler, or Sweet Potato) egg roll platter from Uncle Sal’s Egg Rolls.
Unpopular opinion: I don’t hate paper straws.
I mean, I don’t like paper straws — and I used to think I hated them — but, recently, the cardboard-y drinking tubes have been receiving so much backlash in public discourse that I realized my feelings towards them were minuscule compared to most others’.
On TikTok and Instagram, it’s not uncommon that a video complaining about the straws pull over 100 thousand views. On Reddit, threads titled “I [truck]ing hate paper straws” have 460+ comments. At Election Day a few weeks ago, I saw someone wearing a shirt proclaiming “I don’t care who wins, just get rid of paper straws.”
Well, North Jersey, good news — if you’re in the subsection of society that thinks paper straws should throw themselves in a fireplace and burn, you’re going to love this week’s top local dishes; because, while the former are considered dry (and off-putting on a sensory level), these culinary champions are as wet as food comes.
None running the risk of turning your tongue into a desert, these are the three best things I ate this week.
Rasta Pasta, Tops Diner
Though it’s probably more of a modern American restaurant than a diner at this point, there’s no question; Tops Diner is one of New Jersey’s favorite spots to eat. Recently, the chic spot was ranked the best restaurant in the state by the Yelp “elites” (app users/contributors selected by community managers as “experts” on their local food scene), and, while writing an article on the aforementioned, it was subconsciously (re)tucked into the back of my mind.
When I landed in Newark after a long weekend in Chicago, then, it only felt natural to pay the Essex County icon a visit on the way home.
Sitting among the restaurant’s beige booths, gold decor and live DJs, I ordered dishes from the famed Mac & Cheese to a cheesy house-made veggie burger. I was most impressed, though, by the Cajun-inspired Rasta Pasta, which — topped with blackened jerk chicken, spicy parmesan cream sauce, garlic, peppers and more — will always be my go-to Tops meal.
Go: 500 Passaic Ave., East Newark; 973-481-0490, thetopsdiner.com.
Breaded Steak Sandwich, Ricobene’s (Chicago)
As alluded to above, I spent the past weekend in Chicago, and, while I typically wouldn’t include an Illinois bite in a Jersey eats newsletter, something peculiar happened when I was abroad:
I noticed an old news article from our databases claiming, at one point, that the Breaded Steak Sandwich from Ricobene’s (of the Bridgeport neighborhood) was “the best sandwich in the world.”
Naturally, then, I had to try it — and see if it still held up.
Composition-wise, the sandwich consisted of a breaded steak cutlet (closer to a country fried steak than a veal Milanese chop), marinara sauce and, upon request, mozzarella and hot giardiniera (I HIGHLY SUGGEST making that request) on soft-baked Italian bread. It costs $11.99 for a “regular,” and is admirably messy beneath its tight tinfoil wrap.
As soon as I began to devour mine, I made a quick realization: It wasn’t the best sandwich in the world. Mushroom and onion cheesesteaks, Jersey-style sloppy joes and old-fashioned tuna melts are all better sandwiches.
With fried steak that stayed crispy under sauce, giardiniera that added crunch and heat, and a blanket of cheese that dripped from both ends of the fluffy roll, however, it was an elite-level sandwich.
Just not an unbeatable sandwich, from the perspective of someone who hails from the deli capital of the world.
Go: 252 W. 26th St., Chicago; 312-225-5555, ricobenespizza.com (Breaded Steak “Sandwich Kits” are available for shipping nationwide through Goldbelly, if you’d like to try the dish without leaving New Jersey).
Jamaican Rum Hot Cocoa, Miracle on Centre
More of a beverage, but I still technically ate it, and — once I put a sandwich from Chicago in my North Jersey culinary highlights — I’m pretty sure I abandoned all conventionality, anyway.
So, exceptions being the name of the game this week, I present the boozy hot cocoa from Miracle on Centre (a festive Christmas bar that pops up inside of Cowan’s Public each year).
Listed on the menu as the Coconut Hot Chocolate, the thick drink is loaded with Jamaican rum, amaretto, chocolate hazelnut and coconut before being absolutely smothered in coconut-infused whipped cream and finished with cacao dust.
AKA; it tastes like eating Santa’s cookies and milk at the same time, and it’s the perfect way to get hammered while listening to Andy Williams.
Go: 229 Centre St., Nutley (INSIDE of Cowan’s Public through January 4); 973-542-8151, cowanspublic.com.
Hungry for more?
Want more on this week’s latest food news? Check out some of my (and others’) best articles at NorthJersey.com/food.
Until next weekend, North Jersey.
Remember to book your Thanksgiving reservations, order your feast to be catered or secure your after-dinner pie.
And then, on Turkey Day itself, tune into @northjerseyeats — because I have a video of a very special visitor coming to New Jersey for December (and he’s bringing laughter, fear and drunken chicken parm with him).
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can’t find her in Jersey’s best restaurants, she’s probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
New Jersey
World Insurance Acquires Van Syckel Insurance of New Jersey
World Insurance Associates announced that it acquired the business of Van Syckel Insurance of Bound Brook, New Jersey on August 1, 2025.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Van Syckel Insurance, which was started in 1865, is managed by Ryan Van Syckel, the great, great grandson of the founder.
The agency provides home and auto insurance, flood insurance, workers’ compensation and business insurance.
World Insurance, based in Iselin, New Jersey, serves clients from more than 300 offices across the U.S. and U.K.
Topics
Mergers & Acquisitions
Auto
New Jersey
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New Jersey
NJ Transit Midtown Direct diverted into Hoboken Terminal, causing delays
NEW JERSEY (WABC) — It was a frustrating morning for some commuters on NJ Transit after Midtown Direct rail service was diverted into Hoboken Terminal.
Delays of more than 30 minutes were reported by passengers and the transit system.
NJ Transit rail tickets and passes are being cross honored by NJ Transit and private carrier bus and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken, and 33rd Street-New York.
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