Binghamton Detours Cause Downtown Gridlock

The closure of two key routes leading into downtown Binghamton is causing significant traffic congestion on a few streets.

The Clinton Street Bridge was closed to all vehicles on Thursday while State Street near City Hall remained shut down.

Drivers at times had to contend with virtual gridlock conditions in some downtown areas.

Traffic often slowed to a crawl on parts of Court, Front and Clinton streets. Vehicles occasionally blocked intersections, prompting some impatient motorists to resort to horn-honking.

There's increased car and pedestrian traffic this week because of the return of thousands of Binghamton University students to the city.

State Street has been closed between Hawley and Susquehanna streets for most of this month as workers removed a pedestrian walkway at Governmental Plaza. That detour is to remain in place for a few more days.

The Clinton Street Bridge is expected to be out of service through the end of next week as a rehabilitation project continues. For the first months of the repair job, two-way traffic was maintained while crews worked on one side of the bridge at a time.

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.