A vehicle fire at the mouth of the outbound Lincoln Tunnel shut down the north tube, stalling traffic as thick black smoke spewed into the air.
It wasn't clear if anyone was injured in the fire, which broke out shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.
Gridlock was so bad near 42nd Street and 11th Avenue a fire truck appeared to have trouble navigating its way to the scene.
The Port Authority said bus service was experiencing delays.
