Joe Biden Shuts Down Traffic on 78

Scott Sandler March 20, 2012 at 12:12 am

Police shut the service road to the Short Hills Mall around 4:30ish as well as the on-ramp by the Springfield Shop-Rite. I was stuck about 250 yards from the State Trooper on the service road and was there for about an hour. Absolutely brutal, someone actually got out of his car, opened his trunk, turned on his police scanner, and began a mock tailgate. It was pretty wild and if my phone hadn't died I would have taken a picture.

Adam Bulger (Editor) March 20, 2012 at 01:01 am

Hey Scott. Sorry to hear about the inconvenience. Wish you had gotten that photo, though. On a whole other note, if anyone is interested in a really good profile of the former Delaware Senator, check out this 2010 profile from the Atlantic. It's long, but worth it. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/10/the-salesman/8226/

Lenny March 20, 2012 at 01:51 pm

Exit 29 on Rt 78 is the interchange with I-287 in Bridgewater. Did you mean Exit 48 in Springfield?

Aaron Afflitto March 20, 2012 at 01:52 pm

What you failed to report is that around 4ish he was leaving Newark and jammed up express lanes and regular lanes for about an hour. He couldn't fly in a chopper like a normal VP?

Lenny March 20, 2012 at 02:15 pm

In 1993, when I worked in New York, the Turnpike was shut down for 45 minutes at rush hour so President Bush could get from Newark Airport to NYC. I swore never to vote for a Bush after that,

Aaron Afflitto March 20, 2012 at 02:38 pm

I hit it further back around 4ish near the airport. Enfuriating .... not voting Obama/Biden that's for sure

Aaron Afflitto March 20, 2012 at 02:39 pm

it was around 50 something near the airport

Adam Bulger (Editor) March 20, 2012 at 03:23 pm

Leonard: I think you're probably right. I took out the exit numbers from the story. So now it's less specific, but probably more accurate. Thanks!

Anonymous89 March 21, 2012 at 08:39 pm

Much to my surprise Springfield Ave between the car dealership and Main Street was also closed around 4ish and I remained sitting in front of the car dealership for 30-45 mins. When we called the Springfield Police Department to find out what was going on we were told that there was a fire in Union. The closure impeded our ability to cross over the top of 78 to get home but the funny thing was that the traffic heading in the opposite direction toward Home Depot was being allowed to cross over 78 via Springfield Ave. One wouldn't mind if there was some logic to it all, but often the public appears to be at the whim of arbitrary decisions by whomever is sent to man/woman the post.