How-to
Stuck on the Grand Island Bridges by Buffalo? Here's What Helps
If your car fails on the Grand Island Bridges north of Buffalo, you're on the Niagara Thruway. Turn on your flashers and try to roll to the next exit. If you can't, stay in the car with your belt on. Call 911 if you're blocking a lane or anyone is hurt. For a flat, a dead battery or a tow up there, call the Thruway at 1-800-842-2233. Once you're off on Grand Island, in the Tonawandas or in Niagara Falls, a Sentinel partner can help.
Why do the Grand Island Bridges follow Thruway rules?
The I-190 is the Niagara Thruway. The Thruway Authority lists it as a 21-mile section from Buffalo to Niagara Falls. The four Grand Island Bridges are part of it. They cross two branches of the Niagara River north of the city.
The South Grand Island Bridges link the Town of Tonawanda to Grand Island. They are twin truss arch spans. Each one carries one direction of the I-190. The southbound span was finished in 1935, the northbound one in 1963. The Thruway says more than 68,000 vehicles cross them each day.
The North Grand Island Bridges link the island to the City of Niagara Falls. The state calls them the blue truss bridges, and says they are more than 60 years old.
On any part of the Thruway, only its own authorized garages may fix a disabled car. That covers tire changes, battery boosts and fuel. Towing goes to the Thruway's off-road garages. So Sentinel can't send a partner onto the bridges.
What should I do the moment the car acts up on the bridge?
A bridge is a bad place to stop. There's water on both sides and traffic behind you. Use whatever warning the car gives you.
- Flashers on, before anything else. The Thruway lists it first.
- Keep rolling if the car will roll. The Thruway says to get well off the road, or to the next exit or nearest safe spot. A tire that's losing air can often limp slowly to the ramp. If the engine quits, use the downhill side of the span.
- Both hands on the wheel. The bridges cross open water, so wind is part of the drive. The National Weather Service says to hold the wheel with both hands and slow down in strong wind. Keep clear of trucks, buses and trailers. One gust can tip a trailer over.
- If you must stop, stay inside. Belt on, doors locked. Don't walk the bridge.
- Tie a white cloth to the left door handle. The Thruway reads that as a call for help.
Anyone hurt, smoke, or a car sitting in a live lane? Call 911 first. Sentinel is not an emergency service.
Who do I call while I'm still on the I-190?
For a flat, a dead battery or an empty tank on the bridge, call the Thruway at 1-800-842-2233. Its garage comes to you for those small jobs. If the car won't run at all, call the same number, and the tow goes to one of the Thruway's off-road garages. To hear what the Thruway charges, call 518-436-3079.
Tell them you're on the Niagara Thruway, which bridge, your direction and your lane. The Thruway's own camera list names the spots up here. There's a camera at the exit 17 toll gantry by the South bridge, one at the base of the North bridge, and more at exits 19, 20, 20A and 21.
Where is the next exit off the bridges?
The Thruway's exit list gives each ramp a milepost, counted from the I-90. Here is the stretch from the Youngmann to Niagara Falls.
| Exit | Where it goes | Mile | Open to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | I-290, the Youngmann | 13.33 | Both ways |
| 17 | River Road (NY 266), the Tonawandas | 14.20 | Both ways |
| South Grand Island Bridges | |||
| 18A | Grand Island Blvd (NY 324 West) | 15.35 | Northbound only |
| 18B | Beaver Island State Park | 15.46 | Northbound only |
| 18 | Beaver Island State Park | 15.61 | Southbound only |
| 19 | Whitehaven Road | 17.27 | Both ways |
| 20 | Long Road | 18.83 | Northbound only |
| 20B | Grand Island Blvd (NY 324), Long Road | 19.32 | Southbound only |
| 20A | West River Parkway | 19.69 | Southbound only |
| North Grand Island Bridges | |||
| 21 | Niagara Scenic Parkway, Buffalo Ave (NY 384) | 21.07 | Northbound only |
Heading north, the first ramp after the South bridge is 18A, about a mile past exit 17. Heading south, the first ramp after the North bridge is 20A, under a mile and a half past exit 21. There is no exit over the water.
Which way can I get off on Grand Island?
The one-way ramps trip people up. Northbound, you can leave at 18A, 18B, 19 or 20. Southbound, your choices are 20A, 20B, 19 or 18. Exit 19 at Whitehaven Road is the only one open both ways.
Take the first ramp you can make. A car that's still moving is easier to help than one stopped on a span. Once your tires are on Grand Island Boulevard, Whitehaven Road or Long Road, you've left the Thruway. The rule changes there, and you can call us.
Who helps once I'm off the bridge on Grand Island?
Grand Island is a town in Erie County, and its streets are regular roads. That's where a Sentinel partner can work. A jump start for a battery that died in the Beaver Island State Park lot. A flat tire change on the shoulder of Whitehaven Road. A car lockout at a gas station on Grand Island Boulevard. Or a tow back over the bridge to your shop in Tonawanda or Buffalo.
Beaver Island State Park sits at the south end of the island, at 103 Commission House Road. It's open from dawn to dusk all year, and the state says 300,000 people visit it each year. Some of them come back to a car that won't start.
The partner who takes your job may be coming from across a bridge too. So tell us the exit you took and the nearest cross street. That detail sends the right truck the first time.
Who do I call for police on Grand Island?
For an emergency anywhere, dial 911. For something that isn't one, the Town of Grand Island police page lists dispatch at 716-858-2903. That's also the Erie County Sheriff's number. The Sheriff's District 1 substation is at 1856 Whitehaven Road. The Sheriff says its substations aren't staffed for walk-in complaints, but there's a 911 call box at the door. The town also lists State Police for Grand Island at 716-773-9651, and the State Police line for the Thruway at 800-842-2233.
What about the Tonawanda and Niagara Falls ends?
Exit 17 drops you on River Road, NY 266, in the Tonawandas. Exit 21 drops you on Buffalo Avenue, NY 384, in Niagara Falls. Both are state roads off the Thruway. Call us from either one.
The same goes for the I-290. The Youngmann is a state road, not the Thruway. So a car that dies on the 290 before the exit 16 merge can get our help. One that dies after the merge is on the Thruway. For the rest of the city's roads, see our Buffalo towing page. For how the Thruway works across the state, see our New York page.
Do the toll gantries matter if I break down?
There are no toll booths to stop at anymore. The Thruway says cashless tolling went live at the Grand Island Bridges in March 2018, ending cash collection there. The whole Thruway went cashless in November 2020. A sensor reads your E-ZPass, or a bill goes by mail to the car's registered owner using DMV records.
So don't slow down or stop under a gantry. It's open highway. For you, the gantries are landmarks. Say "just past the South bridge gantry" or "under the gantry at the base of the North bridge" and the Thruway knows where you are.
Before you cross in bad weather, look at the Thruway's I-190 camera page or 511NY, the state's official traffic site. If the bridge is closed or stacked up, wait it out on the island.
Is there construction on the bridges right now?
Yes. The Thruway is working on the South bridges now. A steel repair and seismic project started in 2026, and it's scheduled to run into late 2028. One part of the job is a grippier road surface for wet weather. The state says traffic impacts should be minimal, but watch for crews and shifted lanes.
Once you're stopped on any shoulder, New York's move over law is on your side. Vehicle and Traffic Law 1144-a tells drivers to take care around a car stopped on the shoulder of a controlled-access highway, and to move out of the next lane when it's safe.
How does Sentinel help once you're off the Thruway?
Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone is dispatched, and we stay with you by text until your driver arrives. You can track the truck on a map as it comes to you. That's the Stay-With-You Promise.
Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.
Grand Island Bridges Breakdown Questions
Can Sentinel send a tow truck onto the Grand Island Bridges?
No. The bridges are part of the Niagara Thruway. Only the Thruway's authorized garages may service or tow a car there. Call 1-800-842-2233, or 911 in an emergency. Call us once you're off on Grand Island, in the Tonawandas or in Niagara Falls.
My tire is going flat on the South bridge heading north. Should I stop?
If the car still rolls, keep going slowly with your flashers on. The first ramp is exit 18A at Grand Island Boulevard. Pull well off there and call us. If the tire fails fully, stop as far right as you can, stay in the car and call the Thruway or 911.
Can you jump my car at Beaver Island State Park?
Yes. The park is on Grand Island at 103 Commission House Road, off the Thruway. Tell us where in the park you are. A dead battery is often a jump start. If it won't hold a charge, we text you a new price for a tow and you decide.
Which exits can I use heading south on Grand Island?
Exits 20A, 20B, 19 and 18 are open southbound. Exits 20, 18B and 18A are northbound only. Exit 19 at Whitehaven Road works in both directions.
Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: Thruway roadside assistance, Thruway exit listing, Thruway system overview, Thruway history, Thruway cashless tolling, Thruway I-190 cameras, Thruway South Grand Island Bridges release, Governor's 2026 South Grand Island Bridges release, Governor's North Grand Island Bridges release, Beaver Island Parkway Bridge release, Town of Grand Island Police, Erie County Sheriff patrol areas, Beaver Island State Park, NWS wind safety, NY VTL 1144-a, 511NY.
