Falling debris forced the closure of all westbound lanes on the lower deck of the George Washington Bridge Wednesday, creating a huge traffic snarl on the Cross-Bronx Expressway and surrounding roads as maintenance crews made emergency repairs, officials said.
The official New York State Department of Transportation 511NY website said all westbound lanes were closed — and traffic detoured — beginning at 7:37 a.m.
The NYSDOT and Port Authority, which owns and operates the bridge, said reports of falling debris over a portion of the Cross Bronx leading to the lower bridge level sent maintenance crews to the incident around 8:30 a.m. That led to exit closures and diversions.
The 511NY website said the area in question was between the westbound ramp from Exit 1B, the Harlem River Drive / Amsterdam Avenue, to the Lower Trans-Manhattan Expressway. And the Port Authority said drivers headed to the 181st Street Exit were being diverted to exits for Jerome Avenue and the Major Deegan.
It was not immediately clear what the debris entailed or what lead to it falling onto the roadway. It was unclear how long it would take crews to resolve the issue or if that debris had damaged any passing vehicles.
“The 181st Street Exit is closed at this time,” the Port Authority said in a statement, adding: “We will undertake any necessary repairs immediately.”
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee’pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.