NEW YORK (AP) – A massive traffic jam stretched for miles from the George Washington Bridge Friday morning as police talked a man down from one of the cables high above the Hudson River, authorities said.

The police took the man into custody by 8:30 a.m., said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the storied bridge between New York and New Jersey.

The man was spotted on one of the cables on the northern side of the bridge around 7:15 a.m., Coleman said. Port Authority and New York police scaled the cables to talk to him.

Meanwhile, the span’s upper level was closed, causing a major traffic backup at the height of the morning rush hour, extending to the various bridge approaches including the Cross Bronx Expressway in New York and Route 46 and the Palisades Parkway in New Jersey.

Cars and trucks were at a standstill for about 2 1/2 miles at around 8 a.m. As of 8:30, delays were up to two hours, Mr. Coleman said.

“It’s backed up almost to the Whitestone Bridge,” Joe Bongiorno, talking on his cell phone, told Fox 5 News television. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The lower level remained open, but trucks are barred from using it. Truck drivers were diverted away from the bridge or simply waited for it to reopen, Mr. Coleman said.

Alternate routes for driving between New York City and New Jersey include the Holland and Lincoln tunnels. Commuters can also take ferries, trains and buses.