Bridge incidents in New York, Philly cause big delays

Two toll bridge incidents caused big delays to traffic in the northeast Thursday. On the Tappan Zee Bridge of the New York State Thruway in Tarrytown a hole in the deck led to 20km (13 mile) backups. Two of the bridge's southbound (and eastbound) lanes were closed between 6am and 8:45 until a large steel plate could be placed over the hole. Queueing traffic went all the way back to Suffern.

On the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia a standoff with a man in a stopped car thought to be armed during the evening peakhour caused police to close the bridge for 3.5 hours. Police thought the man, Johnny Reed, 35, had a gun and negotiated with him. When he eventually gave up and surrendered the gun was found to be a "very realistic" toy gun.

The Philadelphia incident began around 4:30 in the north or westbound lanes of NJ42 (Atlantic City expressway and its untolled extension in to Philadelphia) when police tried to stop Reed for speeding. He refused to pull over in New Jersey and drove several miles with police right behind him.

Police say that when he began driving erratically they pulled back. They said he chose to stop his vehicle in the middle of the bridge. He stepped out of his vehicle and attacked passing vehicles with a baseball bat. At another point he had a child in his arms and the "gun." He also threatened to jump off the bridge into the Delaware River.

The man was a paranoid complaining of being tracked by federal agents. He demanded to see Michelle Obama, wife of the leading Democratic candidate for president.

Traffic is reported have been chaotic throughout the inner area of Philadelphia for hours.

The Whitman Bridge was not reopened until after 8:30pm.

Both the Tappan Zee and Whitman bridges are seven travel lanes with a central lane reversible lane. The Tappan Zee Bridge has a moveable median barrier. There are no breakdown shoulders on either bridge. Each is over 50 years old.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-03-27