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Tree Lighting, Obama Visit Force Day Of Gridlock For NYC Drivers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Between Wednesday night's Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center and a visit by President Obama, commuters were better off sticking to mass transit.

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Due to the tree lighting ceremony -- which took place shortly  before 9 p.m. -- Fifth and Sixth Avenues between 48th and 52st Streets were closed until around 11 p.m.

A Memorable Night At Rockefeller Center. 1010 WINS' Al Jones Reports

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With hundreds of cops and barricades set up along 5th, 6th and 7th avenues, it was not a fun day to be a delivery driver in the Rockefeller Center area.

"It takes about an hour or so to go around the block so and that's only because they just started blocking off traffic," driver Michael Santos told 1010 WINS' Terry Sheridan.

1010 WINS' Terry Sheridan Reports

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President Obama also hosted a fundraising dinner at Gotham Bar and Grill  Wednesday, also causing road closures and frozen zones.

Some even contend the conditions on Wednesday were worse than United Nations week.

WCBS 880's Marla Diamond At Rockefeller Center

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"And with the President and that -- that's like a double whammy," Santos said.

Even many streets that remained open were squeezed down to one lane.

Is gridlock a small price to pay for living and working in New York City? Sound off in our comments section below...

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