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An overheight hollow steel tower being transported on a trailer struck and severely damaged the South Broadway bridge in Orangetown at 6:45 a.m. Aug. 31, according to New York State Police.
The result: A traffic standstill that at one point stretched nearly a dozen miles, various feeder roadways choked with vehicles and countless motorists looking for a way out.
It was the third time that particular overpass had been struck in less than a year, commuters said.
It was a significant hit, said Khurram Saeed, the public information officer for the New York State Thruway Authority. Two of the bridge’s eight girders were badly damaged, he said.
The tower also apparently struck an old digital lane control sign, pieces of which may have fallen onto the roadway. The sign was removed and the debris cleaned up.
Turns out the driver, who was uninjured, didn't have the required permits for such a load, State Police said.
The three left lanes were immediately closed, causing delays that some motorists said they hadn't seen in a long time, if ever at all.
"In my 8 years here never once seen it this backed up," one wrote shortly after 8 a.m. "Went to 303 to get to 59 and cut through the mall - 303 was starting to back up."
"Been trying to get to Nyack Hospital for over an hour," another noted roughly three hours later. "Have tried 3 different routes. On back roads now and still not even close. Nightmare."
The Exit 10 ramp onto the Thruway was reopened at 10:20 a.m. That eased things somewhat but not much, motorists said.
The effect was clearly felt by commuters from North Jersey and within some areas of Bergen County that absorbed the resulting traffic spillage.
Two lanes were reopened in time for the evening rush. The rest were opened soon after.
Built 70 years ago, the 230-foot long South Broadway overpass has a clearing of 13½ feet.
Saeed said the Thruway Authority will pursue recovery of all damages from the crash.
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