What Caused the Widespread Power Outage Along Middletown’s Rt. 35 Corridor
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) says work on an upgrade project and deliberate changes to automatic restoration equipment triggered multiple outages Wednesday that left large portions of Middletown, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands in the dark. Crews were replacing lines and poles to boost capacity and resilience, and operators adjusted devices that normally try to restore power automatically in order to protect line workers.
Why the outage happened
JCP&L is conducting an upgrade on the distribution lines through the Rt. 35 corridor. The project involves installing stronger, thicker wire and replacing poles to improve resiliency and better handle capacity demands. While crews were working, the utility altered settings on automatic reclosers and other devices that would normally attempt to restore service when it drops.
JCP&L spokesman Chris Hoenig said the change was intentional and focused on crew safety: preventing automatic switching that could re-energize lines while workers are on them. That safety step, however, meant outages that would otherwise have been momentary stayed in place until crews could safely complete the work and restore service manually.
Timeline of the outages
The first service interruption in Middletown began at 1: 05 p. m. ET and lasted until 1: 41 p. m. ET. A later, more extensive outage struck Wednesday evening and affected a broader area, including Highlands and Atlantic Highlands. At the peak of the evening outage, JCP&L reported thousands of customers without power across the eastern Raritan Bayshore region of Monmouth County.
Who and what were affected
The midday outage wiped out power along the heart of the Rt. 35 corridor—from major retail anchors through the new Town Hall—impacting stores, restaurants and homes. Named businesses and community sites lost electricity, and local leaders warned that traffic signals on the highway were not operating, producing delays and safety concerns.
Middletown police assisted with traffic control while intersections were dark, helping motorists navigate the corridor during both the afternoon and evening interruptions.
Scale of the outage and restoration progress
At the height of the outage, JCP&L estimated roughly 7, 782 households, businesses and other customers were without electricity in the Bayshore area. That represented about 3% of the utility’s customers in Monmouth County. Utility crews spent the evening working to restore service; by 10: 50 p. m. ET power had been returned to most locations, with about 510 customers in Middletown still without service at that time.
Utility officials offered no immediate estimate for full restoration during the evening response, prioritizing crew safety and systematic re-energization of the upgraded lines.
What residents should know now
Officials emphasized the upgrade work is intended to reduce long-term outages and strengthen the circuit’s ability to handle higher demand. In the short term, the deliberate disabling of automatic restoration features is a standard safety practice when crews are working live lines.
Residents who experienced outages are advised to report lingering service interruptions to the utility’s outage line and to follow local traffic advisories while signals are being restored. Local public safety officials say traffic control remains a top priority until intersections return to normal operation.
This remains a developing local infrastructure story as crews complete upgrades and finish evening restoration work.
