The
Throgs Neck Bridge was closed Friday
morning - and is expected to be
closed for hours - as firefighters
fought a blaze on a construction
platform under the bridge connecting
Queens to the Bronx, officials said.
The incident has morning rush-hour
traffic backed up for miles with
delays on the Cross Island Parkway
causing snarls as far back as the
Long Island Expressway.
The fire broke out under the Queens
side of the bridge sometime around 5
a.m., FDNY officials said. Officials
first closed some lanes, but the New
York State Department of
Transportation said the entire
bridge was closed by 6:30 a.m.
The bridge was expected to be closed
at least four hours, according to
the NYSDOT.
It is
unclear if the fire has caused any
structural damage to the bridge or
if it will need repairs before it
can be reopened to traffic.
The NYSDOT is recommending motorists
plan on using alternate crossings
Friday.
However, a scan of traffic maps
shows that traffic is already at a
crawl on the nearby Whitestone
Bridge Friday.








