The old Tappan Zee Bridge in New York's Hudson Valley went crashing into the Hudson River late Tuesday morning.

Traffic was backed up in both directions about 10:50 a.m. as explosives were used to tear down the eastern portion of the bridge. Video clips posted to Instagram show the bridge, first built in 1952, plummet into the water, sending up massive clouds of gray smoke.

Heavy winds had postponed the initial demolition date of Saturday. The western portion of the bridge is scheduled to come down by the end of the year.

The new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge replaced the Tappan Zee, spanning the Hudson River between Westchester and Rockland counties.

Hundreds of people gathered at restaurants with view points of the event on Tuesday, including in Piermont and Dobbs Ferry.

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