I-80 sinkhole: NJ TRANSIT offers discount on roundtrip travel as repairs to take weeks

PHILADELPHIA - Two massive sinkholes have shut down a major interstate in North Jersey. 

The shutdown is leading to major traffic delays for rush-hour commuters and significantly impacting surrounding communities where traffic is being diverted.

What we know:

Beginning on Monday, March 24, New Jersey Transit will be offering a 50 percent discount on the Morris-Essex Line in an effort to encourage drivers to take mass transit and reduce congestion in the area.

The discount is effective for commuters traveling from Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong, and Mount Arlington Stations.

People traveling from those stations will not need to purchase a fare when boarding. 

Please do inform the train crew if you are transferring at Newark Broad Street Station or Summit Station to continue their trip to Penn Station New York. If so, you will receive a transfer ticket to present to the crew on the connecting train.

For the return trip, customers will only need to purchase a one-way ticket back to one of these five stations, providing a full 50% discount on roundtrip travel.

For information on schedules, fares and service updates, visit njtransit.com or download the official NJ TRANSIT mobile app. 

What they're saying:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined Governor Phil Murphy and New Jersey Congressman Tom Kean for a firsthand look at the repair work underway on the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 80 in Wharton on Saturday.

"You know, this is causing issues for so many families every single day. It's impacting people's lives. It's impacting their livelihoods. We need to make sure the money is there from the federal level. We have a strong partnership here with the Secretary as well as the governor. We also need to work with the Small Business Administration and find every penny that we can at every level of government. This is a whole-of-government approach, from the municipal level all the way up to the federal level," said Congressman Kean.

"While we work around-the-clock to repair the roadway, we are providing every possible travel alternative including on NJ TRANSIT trains," said Governor Phil Murphy.  "By offering these discounts on the trains, we will get vehicles off the road and provide residents another option to get to work or school, and back home at the end of the day."