Whitestone Back Open After Sign Collapse

Photo Courtesy 1010 WINS

Traffic on the Whitestone Bridge is back running smoothly after an accident yesterday shut it down for most of the afternoon when an overhead sign collapsed and blocked all five lanes of traffic in both directions. The sign and its metal support system, the gantry, came down around 1 p.m. when an MTA Bridges and Tunnels contractor struck it with their truck and the crane attached to its back.

The driver of the truck told WCBS-2, "It just came down. There was a little bit of dust—you could tell something happened in front of me, and then when I stopped, you could see clearly the cherry picker hit the sign in half and brought it down."

After redirecting traffic to the Throgs Neck for the rest of the afternoon and evening rush hour, the bridge was reopened by 7 p.m. last night. Two contractors were treated for minor injuries at New York City Hospital of Queens.

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By Billy Parker in News on March 28, 2009 11:05 AM

Comments [rss]

stenro

@ConcernedMotorist-

Politics aside- this was just shear stupidity. It was an MTA contractor that did this. Not only should they know better- they should know how to operate their truck.

What needs to happen is the MTA needs to sue the contractor company and get it settled and collected within 6 months for the FULL amount of any damage caused, including any private vehicle damage. Nothing less. No money from MTA or customers.

Also, if driver was under drugs or alcohol- minimum 6 months in jail. No leniency.

stenro

@ConcernedMotorist-

Politics aside- this was just shear stupidity. It was an MTA contractor that did this. Not only should they know better- they should know how to operate their truck.

What needs to happen is the MTA needs to sue the contractor company and get it settled and collected within 6 months for the FULL amount of any damage caused, including any private vehicle damage. Nothing less. No money from MTA or customers.

Also, if driver was under drugs or alcohol- minimum 6 months in jail. No leniency.

seaanemoneman

I feel like it's not quite accurate to call this a "collapse."

ConcernedMotorist

Call me a Republican or just call me a jerk or even worse. But, this is exactly what is wrong with today's society. The driver should have known better than to go on the bridge. Secondly, the bridge should have barriers preventing this sort of event. Boy, I feel safe from terrorism knowing New York's finest and obviously dumbest are watching over us. But lastly, while I am happy that the driver has only minor injuries, what about all the motorists that had hours of delays do to this act of stupidity. Who cares about them? If an average Joe did this, he would probably have his license suspended and face criminal charges. A New York City employee does this and god bless him. How about some bias in your reporting.