After roughly 36 hours of continuous repair work, a section of Route 1 in Edison reopened Wednesday morning, ending a closure that began Monday morning after an underground water main break shut down part of the highway.
- A section of Route 1 in Edison reopened Wednesday morning after a water main break forced a shutdown beginning Monday morning, following approximately 36 hours of continuous emergency repair work by Edison Water Utility crews.
- A 75-year-old “X”-shaped water main located beneath Route 1 ruptured at the point where four pipes intersect, sending water through the pavement, freezing the roadway surface, and causing the highway to sink three to four inches.
- Emergency valve installation, structural roadway repairs, and final safety inspections by the New Jersey Department of Transportation were all required before traffic could safely return to the highway.
Location and Cause of the Break
The rupture occurred beneath Route 1 near the intersection with Travers Avenue, just south of the Route 514 exit. The failure involved a 75-year-old “X”-shaped water main located directly below the roadway, at the point where four water pipes intersect. The break caused water to shoot upward through the pavement, the road surface to freeze, and Route 1 to sink approximately three to four inches.
Repair Operations and Road Conditions
Crews from the Edison Water Utility began emergency repair operations at approximately 10 a.m. Monday, and worked continuously in freezing conditions. By Tuesday night, Route 1 North remained fully closed, while the southbound lanes were partially open, with the left lane still blocked.
Edison Mayor Sam Joshi described the working conditions, saying, “It is obviously very freezing, frigid, brutal conditions to be working in.”
Repairs required the installation of four new valves to stop the water flow and allow permanent infrastructure work to proceed. As of Tuesday evening, two of the four valves had been installed.
The damage beneath the roadway required structural repair before traffic could safely return. After the infrastructure work was completed, the New Jersey Department of Transportation conducted inspections and certified the roadway as safe for travel before reopening.
Area Conditions and Traffic Disruptions
The closure near Travers Avenue created traffic tie-ups and forced motorists to detour around the site. Homes in the surrounding area were largely unaffected, though officials warned of fluctuating water pressure near Route 1 and Player Avenue during the repair period.
Mayor Joshi announced the reopening on Wednesday morning. He formally thanked utility workers, emergency crews, and police for working through freezing temperatures, wind, bursting water, ice, and mud during the 36-hour repair operation.
