George Washington Bridge reopens after police activity caused major delays for morning commute
NEW YORK -- All lanes of the George Washington Bridge have reopened after police activity caused major delays for the Wednesday morning commute.
Drivers heading into Manhattan were advised to use the Holland or Lincoln tunnels instead, but traffic backed up there, as well, because of the overflow.
The GWB right lanes were closed in both directions on the upper and lower decks for the early morning rush due to police activity in the area.
Police say the lanes were shut down out of an abundance of caution in response to reports of a possible demonstration on the bridge, but demonstrators never arrived.
There was a 90-minute wait to get through the toll plaza, and the delays caused gridlock on the nearby Turnpike 80 approach, the Palisades and Route 4.
"During morning rush hour at all Hudson river crossings, customers should expect the possibility of significant delays. We strongly encourage commuters to allow for extra travel time and consider using public transportation," the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey posted on social media.
The GWB Bus Terminal was also closed for most of the morning but reopened around 10:30 a.m. Buses were picking up and dropping off between 178th and 179th streets on Fort Washington Avenue.
The George Washington Bridge stretches across the Hudson River to connect Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan and Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey. The suspension bridge has an upper and lower deck with a total of 14 lanes.
