ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. -- High winds caused a very dangerous situation on the Thousand Islands Bridge in Alexandria Bay Sunday. The bridge was closed for most of the day after two campers flipped over on it.
The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority says two Canadian couples were traveling south into the United States when they ran into 70 mile an hour wind gusts near the bridge's highest point. The bridge authority says traffic had been restricted due to the high winds, but the campers were already in the system, having come through Canadian customs. There were no injuries reported.
Traffic was backed up for about a mile on Interstate 81, and people were stuck in the traffic for several hours. Officials say everyone involved is extremely lucky, because the situation could have been much worse.
"Very lucky, very lucky. All occupants of the vehicles, we are very fortunate they were not injured. It's taken us a while to clear the bridge of the wreckage due to the high winds we're still encountering," said Shane Sanford with the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority.
The bridge reopened around 5 p.m. Sunday night. Traffic is still restricted, meaning no campers, RVs, buses or empty tractor trailers can cross until the wind dies down for a sustained period of time.