NYC bridge closed after three men climb to top

NEW YORK -- Police shut down an East River bridge for more than two hours Friday after three men climbed a suspension cable to the top. Turns out they weren't terrorists, authorities said, just three "stupid" young men who had been bar-hopping.

The antics on the Williamsburg Bridge snarled morning rush hour traffic as police searched to see whether the trio left anything behind before they rappelled down. Nothing was found.

The men, from West Tisbury and Allston, Mass., and Warwick, R.I., were in custody and could be charged with trespassing or obstructing governmental administration, police commissioner Ray Kelly said.

Police said the men, all in their 20s, had spent the night at three bars and an after-hours club before climbing to the top of the bridge, one of three that links Manhattan and Brooklyn. The slanting cable is wide enough to walk on and has guidewires that can be held onto for balance.

When the men came down, they startled bridge workers, who called authorities, police said.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the situation showed the effectiveness of the city's heightened alert for potential terrorist attacks.

"In the end, we did what we were supposed to do," Bloomberg said. "Operation Atlas has been implemented. It works. We are on top of things.

"It's also true you shouldn't be going on the Williamsburg Bridge, breaking into some place you shouldn't be, and drinking. How stupid can you be?"