Authorities: George Washington Bridge climber in custody

The incident caused a traffic nightmare for motorists trying to cross the bridge amid a heavy police presence.

Bob Doda

May 18, 2024, 6:36 PM

Updated 146 days ago

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A man who scaled the George Washington Bridge Saturday morning was placed into custody by the Port Authority Police Department.
The incident caused a traffic nightmare for motorists trying to cross the bridge amid a heavy police presence.
The Port Authority says an unauthorized person was reported climbing on the New York tower of the south side of the bridge shortly after 11:30 a.m.
The incident prompted a response from Port Authority police and the NYPD.
Courtesy of Timothy Conlin
Photos courtesy of Timothy Conlin
Photos courtesy of Timothy Conlin
Three total New York-bound lanes were closed due to police activity. One lane was closed on the upper level and two on the lower level, according to the Port Authority.
The person was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. before he was transported to the hospital.
All traffic lanes reopened around 4 p.m.
It was not immediately clear why the man scaled the bridge. His condition was not known as of Saturday night.
Initial reports said that three climbers were scaling the bridge, but no other information was made available.