Fire Erupts on Major NYC Bridge

October 19, 2005 -- Plumes of black smoke rose from the 59th Street Bridge yesterday, as a fire raged on the upper roadway, closing the bridge for hours and snarling traffic on both sides.

The blaze broke out at around 1 p.m. in construction scaffolding on the upper level of the bridge, where workers have been sandblasting paint from the metal beams as part of a restoration project.

No one was injured in the fire, which is believed to have started in construction materials.

Fire officials last night had yet to determine the exact cause of the blaze.

It quickly spread across the large white tarps that have covered part of the span since March 2004.

Within 45 minutes, the FDNY sounded a fourth alarm