The westbound Lincoln Tunnel has reopened nearly seven hours after an overturned tractor trailer snarled traffic in both directions during rush hour, according to the Port Authority.
All westbound lanes were closed at the Lincoln Tunnel around 5:40 a.m. after the tractor trailer overturned at the helix on Route 495 in New Jersey, Port Authority police said.
At the time, authorities were only allowing buses from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to use the westbound lanes, which caused delays of up to 90 minutes.
All westbound lanes were reopened around 11:40 a.m., the Port Authority said.
A Port Authority spokesman said the driver of the tractor trailer, Jose Morales de Morales, of Astoria, Queens, was issued two summonses related to the crash: one for reckless driving and one for driving with a suspended license.
The tunnel’s center tube, which runs eastbound, was also temporarily closed due to an abandoned vehicle, but the Port Authority said the vehicle has since been removed and the tube was reopened around 11:15 a.m.
A Port Authority spokesman said the man was sitting in his car when he suddenly opened the door and ran out of the tunnel. The man told authorities he became claustrophobic while sitting in traffic in the tunnel, the spokesman said.
