Stuck Because of Sticky Gowanus Canal Bridge

Although it doesn't happen frequently, the bridges over the Gowanus Canal are opened and closed to let barges and other vessels through. (We were dumbfounded to find the Hamilton Avenue Bridge raised at the height of rush hour one day causing traffic to clot into an angry gridlock in all directions.) Here's an email we got from a reader about "last night's mishap with the 9th Street Gowanus Bridge." The "last night," in this case, refers to Tuesday night:

I left my studio (at 2nd Ave and 10th Street) at 7:15pm, intending to walk the short distance to Frankie's 457 on Court Street, but ended up standing in the cold for 30 minutes, along with many other increasingly impatient folks. We all kept thinking that any minute now it would all be over, but it never was. I wish I had known whatever is the usual amount of time that the bridge is supposed to be up, but I didn't. Anyway finally I started walking toward 4th Ave, thinking of taking the F train to Carroll St., but then saw a cab and thought I might as well try the Hamilton bridge. Lo and behold, it was totally clear--I arrived at my dinner date an hour late. So obviously the 9th Street bridge got stuck--I just wish I had figured it out sooner. Anyway I would love to know what actually happened to cause that, and most importantly: why oh why the bridge officials didn't bother to come down and let us all know something was wrong and that we should go around?

The Hamilton Avenue and Ninth Street bridges open more frequently than the Third, Carroll and Union Street bridges.