Politics & Government

GWB Lane Closures Could Have Led to Deaths, Port Authority Executive Says

Agency chief blasts GWB lane closures in Fort Lee

The Port Authority’s unannounced closure of two access lanes from Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge likely broke state and federal laws, while endangering public safety, the authority’s chief wrote in an internal email to top managers.


Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye wrote the message Sept. 13 after media inquiries surfaced about the lane closures, which snarled traffic throughout Fort Lee, according to the Wall Street Journal.  


Foye called the decision “abusive” and “ill-advised,” according to a copy of the email obtained by the newspaper.

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"I pray that no life has been lost or trip of a hospital- or hospice-bound patient delayed,” Foye wrote about widespread traffic jams in the borough.


He ordered staffers to reopen the lanes and said he never approved the decision. Foye’s email also notes Port Authority police and traffic engineering officials did not sign-off on the changes.

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Borough officials were not informed ahead of the lane closures and have said they are still waiting for a detailed explanation from the Port Authority.


Publicly, the Port Authority has only said the lane closures were part of a traffic study without offering details. Three Democratic Bergen County freeholder candidates have called for an investigation into the decision.


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