UPDATE: Two Lanes of Route 17 Northbound Remain Open

UPDATE 4:40 p.m. - Heavy traffic can still be expected in the area of Route 17 north at Williams Avenue, near the Bendix diner area, due to partial flooding of the roadway.

Police confirm Thursday afternoon that two lanes out of three are open but it is likely that traffic will continue to move slowly. Earlier today the roadway was down to one lane, police said. 

The excessive rain of the past few days has caused lane closures in this area of Route 17 for the past two days. Following Hurricane Irene the roadway was closed for more than a day.

A flood warning was in effect by the National Weather Service Thursday morning following 1 to 2 inches of rain which fell during the overnight hours into Thursday. Rainfall stopped by mid-morning Thursday.

The forecast for the remainder of today, Friday and Saturday is:

Thursday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind between 4 and 7 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind between 3 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.