Southbound Monitor-Merrimac reopened after crash

A crash involving an overturned dump truck this morning shut down the southbound lanes of Interstate 664 at the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel.

The dump truck overturned inside the southbound tunnel shortly before 8 a.m., said Sgt. Michelle Cotten, state police spokeswoman. Two people in the truck were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

All lanes were reopened at about 11:40 a.m. according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. 

The truck dumped its contents of rocks and dirt along with a large amount of diesel fuel inside the tunnel, Cotten said.

Southbound traffic was backed up in Newport News and motorists were being rerouted to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, Cotten said. At 9:45 a.m., she said that southbound traffic likely would be stopped until 11 or 11:30 a.m. Crews were cleaning up the debris and trying to get the truck turned over.

Traffic on the southbound side of the tunnel was backed up and being rerouted on Terminal Avenue, Cotten said. Eastbound traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel was backed up to King Street because of the overflow from I-664.

“It’s going to cause a major backup for the rest of the day,” Cotten said.

Northbound traffic on I-664 also was halted for a short while so that rescue vehicles could get to the crash site, Cotten said. 

Check PilotOnline.com later for updates.