File - Traffic drives over the George Washington Bridge in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
FORT LEE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – The head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is seeking answers after lanes heading to the George Washington Bridge were closed last month.
Two of the three lanes approaching the GWB tolls caused gridlock over four straight days beginning Sept. 9. The lanes were reopened following rush hour on Sept. 13.
Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye didn’t even know about it until reporters starting asking questions, the Bergen Record reported.
In a scathing email, Foye said he was appalled by the lane closures, which he said put the public in danger.
He went on to say closing the lanes was an abusive decision and failing to notify the public was hasty and ill-advised.
Initially, a port authority statement claimed the lane closures were part of a traffic pattern study.
As WCBS 880’s Sean Adams reported, some Bergen County Democrats don’t buy it and think this could be some sort of political payback.
But Fort Lee’s mayor, a Democrat, told Adams he doesn’t buy into those conspiracy theories.
