New York, NY – New York City Police and first responders will be conducting a “dirty bomb” training exercise.

The 5-day exercise involves hundreds of personnel from 150 law enforcement and other first responder agencies in the tri-state area. It will be conducted on land, including the rail and highways, and on the waterways.

The effort is designed to test the ability to detect and interdict radiological material that could be used in a terror attack.

The exercise begins Tuesday and runs through Saturday. 

The exercise begins at the United Nations building on First Avenue.

Officers will create traffic checkpoints and conduct grid searches.

There will also be increased activity on roadways and transit hubs leading into the city until the end of the week, which could cause traffic delays.

Areas affected by the exercise include the Macombs Dam, Madison Avenue, 225th Street, 145th Street, and Third Avenue bridges.

The NYPD and Coast Guard will also be patrolling waterways around the city.

(Source: WABC / NY1)