The Bayonne Bridge was open Sunday to help ease the rush of travelers leaving New Jersey without clogging the Outerbridge Crossing and surrounding Perth Amboy.

By 3 p.m., traffic along the Jersey Shore began to pick up on Route 440 heading toward the bridge.

Because Perth Amboy was inundated with out-of-state commuters last week, the Port Authority had stopped construction on the Bayonne Bridge to give drivers an alternative to the Outerbridge and Goethals Bridge. 

The Port Authority is putting more police around the bridge to respond to accidents more quickly.

There will be more employees collecting bridge tolls to speed things up.