Wild crash near Lincoln tunnel stalls rush hour
The crash was startling, with the vehicle, an orange garbage truck, landing nose-first on the westbound lanes of Route 495, which carries traffic flowing out of Manhattan.
Wild crash near Lincoln tunnel stalls rush hour
The crash was startling, with the vehicle, an orange garbage truck, landing nose-first on the westbound lanes of Route 495, which carries traffic flowing out of Manhattan.
The accident came at the worst possible time of the holiday week, snarling traffic across many Manhattan streets as drivers struggled to reach other tunnels and bridges and leaving hordes of commuters fuming in long lines to board packed trains or wait out the accident cleanup.
The Union City, New Jersey, municipal truck partially blocked the road, and forced a shutdown of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the busiest in the country, for several hours.
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Twelve people were injured and taken to three local hospitals, according to the Hudson County Prosecutors Office.
An official of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the terminal, said the terminal reopened for limited outbound service shortly before 5 p.m. Eastern time, but cars bound for New Jersey were being diverted to the Holland Tunnel or the George Washington Bridge. The agency advised commuters to find other ways of reaching their destinations.
During the disruption, bus tickets were being accepted for rides on New Jersey Transit and PATH trains and on New York Waterway ferries. At least one company, Lakeland Bus Lines, had diverted its commuter buses to a train station in Secaucus, New Jersey, to begin westbound runs.
Travelers who arrived at the bus terminal on Wednesday afternoon were greeted with signs telling them that all bus service was “suspended until further notice.” Police officers with bullhorns reinforced the message.
Standing in front of the terminal’s entrance on Eighth Avenue, Debbie Gould, 38, listened as Port Authority employees told commuters to find another way home.
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“This is typical, not that the Lincoln Tunnel is closed, but that there is disruption on my way home,” said Gould, who was trying to return home to Union City. “I don’t have any other option than to wait this out. I mean, what can I do?”
Ryan McCarthy, a 20-year-old bank intern in Manhattan, was standing with a packed bag and a friend in front of the Port Authority doors.
“I was looking forward to seeing my family and my girlfriend for the holiday weekend,” he said.
“We’re thinking of maybe renting a car, but that would be a whole ordeal, too,” said McCarthy, who was trying to get to Avalon, New Jersey, down the Jersey Shore.
“I just want to get out of here and get my weekend started,” he said, turning to stare at the growing crowd.
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By 7:30 p.m. ET, all service had been restored, and commuters reported that the traffic was moving swiftly.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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