and Rescue, 9/2023.
It’s not a holiday weekend until Interstate 80 is closed through the Delaware Water Gap and Labor Day didn’t disappoint.
A tractor-trailer loaded with wood pallets caught fire in the westbound lanes of Route 80 just past noon on August 3 at Exit 1 along the brief portion of the highway that runs through Hardwick, just short of the Delaware River bridge.
Knowlton Township Fire and Rescue was alerted to the fire just before 12:30 p.m., the squad said in a statement. The highway was closed to all traffic for several hours, reopening with one lane around 3 p.m. An extensive cleanup was required, they said.
N.J. State Police said the driver of the truck escaped without any reported injuries.
Along with Knowlton, fire and rescue crews from New Jersey and Pennsylvania responded to the fire, including Blairstown Hose Co. No. 1, Mount Bethel Volunteer Co. Station 37, Delaware Water Gap Fire Department, Shawnee Fire Co. and Acme Hose Co. No. 1/East Stroudsburg Fire Department.
Then on Sept. 6, a rolled over tractor-trailer closed the ramp from Route 46 westbound to I-80 westbound near the Portland Bridge exit. Knowlton Fire and Rescue said the ramp would be closed overnight for cleanup.
courtesy of Knowlton Township Fire and Rescue, 9/2023.
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of the Ridge View Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridge View Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
