Major Road Crack Forces Long-Term Closure on Smith Street, Sparks Safety Concerns in Woodbridge

A quarter-mile crack has split Smith Street between Woodbridge and Perth Amboy, forcing a months-long shutdown. The break first appeared on Sept. 5, then widened at an alarming rate.

Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac started tracking the split after initial police reports. "It's very serious. That road is going to take a long time to be replaced," McCormac said per Shore News Network.

The closure stretches from Highland Avenue to Convery Boulevard. A foot-wide gap now cuts through Route 440, disrupting traffic patterns across the area.

Safety concerns pushed officials to move 18 families from their homes last weekend. "The experts have measured everything and determined that it's stable," McCormac said, according to CBS News New York. After 48 hours of monitoring showed no changes, residents returned home.

"We need to have someone come out and really tell us, are we safe?" Colonial Heights resident Koreen Delph asked News 12 New Jersey.

Middlesex County leads the investigation into the cause. Engineers suspect a link between the road's failure and the construction of a massive 970,000-square-foot warehouse that started in June.

New traffic patterns now direct drivers through Florida Grove Road to New Brunswick Avenue, then down Crows Mill Road extension to reach Riverside Drive. Local access remains open via Highland Avenue.

Ground sensors now monitor the site for movement. McCormac promised swift updates should the devices detect any shifts in the road's stability.