The Third Avenue Bridge, connecting the Bronx to Manhattan over the Harlem River, got stuck in the open position Monday afternoon. Officials believe the bridge got stuck open at around 2PM because of high heat expanding the metal.
On the scene the FDNY boats are spraying water onto the bottom of the open bridge in an effort to cool it. When workers try to move the bridge, it fails to line up with the locking mechanism on the Manhattan side of the span.
The Third Avenue Bridge opened in August 1898 and is a one-lane structure, meaning vehicular traffic only flows from the Bronx into Manhattan. It also does not have tolls, so many vehicles use it daily.
The malfunction is causing major traffic delays in the South Bronx along the Major Deegan Expressway and East 138th Street. The incident happened on the hottest day of the year so far in New York City.
