Williamsburg Bridge Shut Down for 7 Hours After Man Climbs Cables
A dramatic episode shut down the Williamsburg Bridge on Oct. 27, when a man climbed the cables at around 3 a.m. He possibly planned on jumping. The incident ended safely about seven hours later, after police were finally able to reach and transport him to a hospital in Brooklyn for a psychiatric evaluation.
| 01 Nov 2023 | 11:33
Men up on the Williamsburg Bridge on the morning of Friday, October 27. They may have been NYPD officers attempting to get a possible bridge-jumper off the cables. Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that a man had been taken into custody around 10 a.m. (
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A man who climbed up the cables of the Williamsburg Bridge and possibly considered jumping shut down cross-borough rail, auto and pedestrian traffic for hours, the NYPD confirmed.
On the morning of October 27, Mayor Eric Adams notified New Yorkers of the situation on X.com (formerly known as Twitter), posting that “due to NYPD activity, the Williamsburg Bridge is closed in both directions between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Take alternate routes and allow for additional travel time.”
At 10:13 a.m., he provided an update: “The NYPD has taken a suspect into custody and the Williamsburg Bridge is now open in both directions.”
The NYPD told Straus News that the man had been discovered on the bridge around 3 a.m. They confirmed that he had been transported to a hospital in Brooklyn for a psychiatric evaluation. No arrest had been made. Officers have not yet elaborated on the man’s identity or confirmed his intentions.
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