Traffic & Transit
Truck Filled With Frozen Fish Crashes, Causes Stink On Beltway
The crash led to hours of lane closures to remove the truck and traffic backups.
TYSONS, VA — Commuters on the Capital Beltway experienced a fishy situation Monday after a truck filled with frozen fish crashed.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, a tractor-trailer with 41,000 pounds of frozen fish went off the road on the Beltway Outer Loop (southbound) near Leesburg Pike in the Tysons area Monday afternoon. No other vehicles were reported to be involved, but other drivers were impacted by ongoing road closures.
VDOT traffic cameras showed a towing service on the scene to remove the tractor-trailer. The truck was later determined to be breached and the frozen fish were deemed "unsalvageable." Truck removal efforts were delayed until after rush hour, resuming around 8 p.m.
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As recovery operations blocked several lanes of the Beltway, drivers experienced backups. At one point, delays were up to 7.5 miles to Maryland Route 190 just before 6 p.m.
Update: Unfortunately the trailer has been breached (rendering the fish unsalvageable) so recovery is being called off until after rush hour. Lanes will begin to reopen soon. pic.twitter.com/R6fXU5Iwve
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 22, 2021
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