Moisture On Outer Loop Causes Crashes, Snarls Rush Hour: Report

BETHESDA, MD — A series of crashes between Connecticut Avenue and Rockville Pike caused a seven-mile backup Friday morning in the Outer Loop of the Beltway (Interstate 495), according to media reports. Three people were injured in the traffic accidents and taken to local hospitals, but their injuries were not life-threatening, radio station WTOP reported.

There were six accidents and other spinouts involving tractor-trailers and dump trucks in the Outer Loop, or westbound lanes of I-495, WTOP reported. The Maryland State Police began receiving reports of the accidents at about 6 a.m.

The State Police said the accidents and lane closures were caused by a buildup of oil and moisture on the highway, WTOP reported. All Outer Loop lanes at Connecticut Avenue were reopened by around 8:30 a.m.

The traffic jam reached its peak at about 7 a.m., when the backup was seven miles long, starting at the Beltway's exit at New Hampshire Avenue, the radio station reported.

Image: Maryland State Police