The Buffalo Skyway and What It Adds to a Tow Price

On the Buffalo Skyway, your tow price mostly comes down to distance. The Skyway is NY Route 5, a raised road that runs over the Outer Harbor from Lackawanna into downtown. A breakdown up there sits away from the streets where most shops are. So the trip to reach you, and the trip to your shop, can both stretch. Your direction, the ramps and the weather do the rest.

Why does a Skyway breakdown cost more than one downtown?

Every tow has two legs. Your driver comes out to you. Then your car rides to where it's going. Both legs count toward the job.

On a side street in Allentown, both legs can be short. On the Skyway, you're on a raised road with no shops beside it. Below you is water, the Outer Harbor and Fuhrmann Boulevard, the frontage road. Your driver has to get up onto the right side of the bridge first. Then the loaded trip heads off the bridge to wherever you pick.

Same car. Same dead battery. A longer job, just because of where it quit.

Which way were you heading on the Skyway?

This matters more than people expect. The Skyway has two sides, inbound to downtown and outbound to Lackawanna. A truck on the wrong side can't cross over. It has to go around through a ramp.

So when you call, give us three things:

• Inbound or outbound. Toward the city, or toward Lackawanna.
• Before or after the river. The big bridge crosses the Buffalo River just south of downtown.
• What you can see. The Outer Harbor, the river, Church Street signs. Anything helps.

The Skyway meets the I-190 at exit 7, near Church Street. Downtown, roads stack on top of each other there. "By the arena" could mean the Skyway, the 190 or a street under both. Be exact, and your driver goes to the right one the first time.

Is the Skyway part of the Thruway?

No. The Skyway is a state road run by the New York State DOT. That's good news for you. Any roadside help can reach you there, including a partner we send.

The I-190 next to it is different. It's the Niagara Thruway. The Thruway says only its own authorized garages may service disabled cars on it, and its authorized garages handle towing too. So if your car dies on the ramp and you're already on the 190, the Thruway's rules apply. Our guide to breaking down on Buffalo's I-190 covers who to call there.

Not sure which road you're on? Look for the exit signs. If they show I-190 exit numbers, you're likely on the Thruway.

Does the Skyway close in bad weather?

Yes, and that changes everything. The Skyway sits high over open water by Lake Erie. The state has shut it more than once:

• In January 2022, NYSDOT closed it from Ridge Road to Church Street because of poor visibility.
• In December 2021, NYSDOT banned tractor trailers and box trucks from the Skyway over forecast high winds.
• On December 29, 2025, the state reported it closed in both directions from the I-190 to NY 179, in Buffalo and Lackawanna, because of high winds.

The state also closes it for planned events, like the summer SkyRide bike ride.

What a closure means for your tow

If you break down just before a closure, help may have to reach you a longer way around. If the road is already shut, nobody gets up there until it reopens. Your price is texted for the job as it really is. If the route changes before your driver is sent, we text you a new price first.

Before you head onto the Skyway in a storm, check 511NY or dial 511. The National Weather Service says a lake-effect band can drop 2 to 3 inches of snow an hour or more. That can turn a quick drive into a closed bridge.

What about the Scajaquada?

The Scajaquada Expressway is State Route 198. It runs through Delaware Park and links the I-190 with the Kensington, NY 33. NYSDOT says it carries more than 60,000 vehicles a day.

This year it's a work zone. In July 2026, NYSDOT began a paving and drainage project along the road. Here is what the state says about it:

• Crews work mostly at night.
• Ramps get detours while crews work on them, with notice ahead of time.
• The work is set to finish by the end of 2026.

A breakdown in a work zone can be a harder job. The shoulder may be narrow or blocked by barrels. A ramp may be closed, so your driver takes a detour to reach you. Tell us if you see cones, barrels or a closed ramp. It helps us price the real job.

The Scajaquada also passes Buffalo State, the Buffalo Zoo and the AKG Art Museum. If you're stuck near one, say so. A landmark is easier to find than a guess at the mile.

How can I keep a Skyway tow smaller?

Ask if it needs a tow at all

A fix where you stopped skips the long loaded trip. If the car clicks but won't crank, a jump start may get you moving. If a tire blew, your driver can put on your good spare. If smoke came out, or the engine made a loud bang, a jump won't help. Then you need a car tow.

Pick a close place to drop it

If your mechanic is out in Amherst, that's a long haul from the Outer Harbor. A shop in South Buffalo or Lackawanna could look at it first. Or the car could just go home tonight. You choose. Your texted price covers the trip you pick.

Get off the bridge if you safely can

If the car still rolls, aim for the next exit. A car on a flat street off the Skyway is a simpler job than one on the bridge. Don't push a sick engine in a lane full of traffic, though. Pull over and call.

What else moves the price?

• What you drive. An all-wheel-drive SUV or a light pickup may need a flatbed. Sentinel handles cars, SUVs, minivans and light pickups.
• Where the car sits. On the shoulder is one job. Slid into a snowbank by Fuhrmann Boulevard is another, and may need a winch-out first.
• Where it goes. The farther the shop, the longer the loaded trip.

What should I do while I wait?

If anyone is hurt, or your car is stuck in a live lane, call 911 first. Sentinel is not an emergency service.

1. Turn on your hazard lights.
2. Stay buckled in with the doors locked. There's no safe place to walk on a raised road.
3. Don't stand between your car and traffic.
4. Watch for your driver's truck. New York law says drivers must use care around a tow truck with amber lights, and move out of the lane next to the shoulder on expressways when it's safe.

How does Sentinel price a Skyway tow?

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. You tell us where the car is, which way you were heading, what you drive and where it should go. We text your price before anyone is sent. If the job changes, we text a new price first, and you decide. Then we stay with you by text until help arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise, and you can track your truck on a map.

For the rest of the city, from the Kensington to the Youngmann, see our Buffalo towing page.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Skyway Tow Price Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: NY Governor: December 2025 storm update, NYSDOT Region 5: traveler advisories, NYSDOT: Skyway SkyRide closure, NYSDOT: Scajaquada paving project, NYS Thruway: roadside help, NY VTL 1144-a, NWS: lake-effect snow, 511NY.