FAIRFAX, Va. — (Editor's Note: The video above is from Feb. 13, 2022)
Northern Virginia drivers often feel like the traffic is a hot mess of garbage. On Thursday, it literally was
A massive haul of trash had to be dumped in the middle of State Route 28 Thursday, just before I-66, in an effort to extinguish a fire that started inside a trash truck.
The incident was confirmed with a tweet from Fairfax County Fire/Rescue, who also added that by dumping the trash, the flames would hopefully taper out faster, as well as minimize damage to the truck itself.
As a result of the flaming trash, one lane has been closed on the highway with no word on when it might be reopened. Commuters are encouraged to take an alternate route if necessary.
It’s certainly not the first time Virginia drivers faced a harrowing situation. Officials are still investigating the I-95 debacle that left thousands stranded, some for near 24 hours, after a snowstorm on Jan. 4.
An independent, third-party firm is working with the department, as well as Virginia State Police, to release findings to the public in the coming weeks.
VDOT confirmed that CNA has an existing contract with Virginia through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The department said that the task order associated with the review is more than $79,000.
In a briefing during the disaster, former Gov. Ralph Northam said crews could not pretreat roads because of the rain, and multiple tractor-trailers crashed. He said those and other factors caused a backup and challenge to access stranded drivers.
VDOT said that the review’s findings will be publicly available once the firm completes it in six to eight weeks.
Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter: Your forecast. Your commute. Your news.
Sign up for the Capitol Breach email newsletter, delivering the latest breaking news and a roundup of the investigation into the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021.