Bringing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree to the Big Apple every year is possibly the biggest holiday haul this side of Santa Claus on Christmas night.
For starters, the tree is enormous; this year’s Norway spruce—cut down in western Massachusetts—is 74 feet tall and weighs 11 tons. Such a tree cannot just be tied to the roof of an SUV; it has to be loaded onto a specialized wide-load tractor-trailer, requiring a carefully coordinated police escort to safely transport the spruce to Rockefeller Plaza.
This special transport took place late on Nov. 8, when the NYPD Highway Patrol and the New York State Police teamed up to escort the Rockefeller tree from the New York/Massachusetts state line to Midtown Manhattan.
Police Officer Dan Gorga of the NYPD Highway Patrol outlined the details of the festive yet serious operation.
“The role that we provide is to block exit ramps to make sure that no unauthorized vehicles come onto the route,” Gorga said. “There are no cars that don’t have a purpose in this escort on the roadway. We want to make sure we get it there as quickly as possible and as safely as possible.”
The NYPD Highway Patrol met the State Police tree escort in Yonkers, blocking off intersection by intersection, exit by exit, as the tractor-trailer bearing the tree — wrapped in lights and sheathed in a large green tarp reading, “The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree 2024” — made its way southbound.
At first, stopped drivers found themselves frustrated by the spectacle — but their frustrations quickly melted once they realized the cargo being hauled was the city’s biggest holiday landmark. Drivers whipped out their cellphones and photographed and videoed the tree on its fateful journey — a sight that delighted Gorga.
“It makes my day, makes my season. You know, I feel like a kid again,” Gorga said. “Not only am I ushering in Christmas, but I’m making sure that I do the best job possible because I do not want to be on Santa’s naughty list.”
Once the convoy hit 125th Street and 2nd Avenue, a patrol vehicle began to play holiday music, sparking the curiosity of New Yorkers along the side streets. Some began to cheer and clap as the enormous tree made its way to Midtown; others even shouted “Merry Christmas!” and sang holiday carols.
The grand journey came to an end outside of Rockefeller Plaza where the tree remained parked until Nov. 9, where crews will upright the big spruce and prepare it for decoration.
By the time the Rockefeller Center tree lighting takes place on Dec. 4, the big spruce will be covered in thousands of lights and decorations that tens of thousands of visitors to the area will enjoy throughout the holiday season.
For Lieutenant Alan Simmons, this year’s tree escort was bittersweet; it was his 34th and final such operation, as he will soon be retiring.
“It was a well-planned out route,” Lieutenant Simmons said. “It’s a good feeling. I’ve been doing it for 34 years, and this will be the last one, so it’s a good way to go out.”
