Overview
When a series of sinkholes opened beneath Interstate 80 in Wharton, New Jersey, beginning in December 2024, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) mounted a rapid, technology-driven emergency response to keep the region moving. NJDOT activated seven detour plans, deployed intelligent transportation systems for real-time monitoring, and adjusted signal timing along overwhelmed alternate corridors. Working with the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and affected municipalities, the agency delivered targeted interventions that cut peak-hour delays by more than 50% compared with the week immediately following the eastbound closure. Coordinated traveler information—including nearly 416,000 alerts pushed to commercial carriers through Drivewyze—helped drivers avoid the worst congestion while crews stabilized the roadway. This case study shows how NJDOT balanced urgent, short-term action with long-term goals of community resilience, freight mobility, and durable infrastructure repair.
In this case study you will learn:
- How NJDOT coordinated emergency traffic management across state, county, and municipal agencies to respond to a multi-sinkhole closure of a major interstate
- How intelligent transportation systems, real-time monitoring, and adaptive signal timing reduced peak-hour delays by more than 50% along detour corridors
- Why proactive, multi-channel communication with commercial carriers, local officials, and the traveling public was essential to managing regional disruption