Whoa! Horses halt traffic at Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

Horsepower cruising through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is nothing new.

But when three horses wandered near the eastbound tunnel entrance early Tuesday, traffic ground to a halt along the eastbound lanes of Interstate 64.

"They were not in the tunnel, but they were on the causeway walking to the north island," said Harry Kenyon, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

"They were definitely on their way."

Motorists saw the animals at about 5:45 a.m. and began to slow down or stop. Tunnel officials also saw the animals on their monitors and ordered traffic to stop out of concern that they might get onto the tunnel ramp.

Virginia State Police shut down eastbound traffic and then led the animals to a VDOT building on the north island - the one closest to Hampton - for safekeeping. The animals were reportedly well-mannered and calm.

The event created a traffic backup to Mercury Boulevard in Hampton, about five miles. The lanes were reopened around 6:20.

The animals, which are kept on property next to the interstate, are owned by Hampton University and used for equestrian classes.

The university said in a statement that it did not know how the horses escaped but was "implementing additional measures" to prevent animals from getting out again.

Tom Holden, (757) 446-2331, tom.holden@pilotonline.com