Filming For 'The Dark Knight Rises' Leads To Heavy Traffic Near Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The 59th Street Bridge was ready for its close up Saturday, but drivers were not.
The upper level of the bridge was closed well before dawn and stayed closed for the better part of the night. The closure was put in place to make way for the cast and crew of the upcoming movie "The Dark Knight Rises," but with bumper to bumper traffic greeting drivers trying to cross the East River, Batman wasn't gaining any fans.
"Right now I don't want to watch that movie," one driver said.
Drivers were kept so far away they couldn't even watch the stars in action from their vantage point. Production trucks and trailers were parked nearby.
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Some drivers say they didn't have any notice about the bridge being shut down.
"I wish I had known that because we would've went a different way," one driver said.
"It's getting outrageous here in New York. All their filming, all this ridiculous filming and we aren't getting anything for it," another driver said.
Despite the traffic tie-ups, the city actually does get a return from the entertainment industry.
According to the city's website, productions contribute more than $5 billion to the Big Apple's economy each year.
Even while stuck, some drivers agreed it's a good thing for the city, but others hoped for real life super heroes to swoop in and save the day.
"They should have had more cops out there directing traffic at least or something," one driver said.
The upper level will be closed again Sunday morning at 1 a.m. until Sunday night at 10 p.m.
Is shooting for movies worth the traffic hassle? Sound off in our comments section below...
