Heavy winds create Verrazzano traffic nightmare
Commuters were left stranded when heavy winds forced the closure of the upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge March 26.
All upper lanes between Brooklyn and Staten Island were closed at 7 p.m. and NYC Emergency Management told drivers to consider alternate routes. The bridge fully reopened at around 9:15 p.m., but severe delays continued.
Pat Roman said her regular 20-minute commute took five hours and 44 minutes. She took side streets to avoid the Belt Parkway and ended up stuck for three and a half hours on Fourth Avenue and 91st Street.
“It was disheartening to know that we were stranded with no communication and no consideration for anyone’s needs,” Roman said. “I saw elderly people sitting on buses next to me stranded with nowhere to go for hours.”