It looks like commuters heading to New York City over the George Washington Bridge got a taste of the Old Testament fire and brimstone God this morning. According to PIX11 News (my alma mater), a debris spill on the eastward, Manhattan-bound side of the GWB caused a hellish sort of traffic delay. Apparently delays are up and over three hours long, so you may as well turn around at that point.
PIX11 reports the lanes were closed after steel beams on the back of a flatbed truck came loose and fell onto the roadway. Just to add insult to injury, those beams then fucked up brickwork under the overpass and scattered debris all over the base.
Why God, why?
Luckily traffic is moving — albeit slowly — at this point, though residual delays are going to stick around for hours to come. I’ve been around these parts all my life. I’ve crossed the George more times than I can count, and I even had a brief stint as a Traffic Producer at the aforementioned PIX11 News. However, I have never seen delays like this. These poor people.
The GWB is one of the busiest bridges in the world. A reported 103 million vehicles cross the Hudson River on its two levels every year. I’m more of a Lincoln Tunnel guy, myself. But I get it.
My poor countrymen from New Jersey do not deserve this. It’s a goddamn Monday. This just feels unfair to me. Don’t forget, all the people stuck on the bridge also have the privilege of paying a $16 ($13.75 EZ-Pass) toll just to get from Fort Lee, New Jersey to Washington Heights in Manhattan.
I am not a praying man, but this morning these people will be in my thoughts. Abandon all hope, ye who enter.