(Updated at 5 p.m.) A tractor-trailer caught fire on I-495 this afternoon (Wednesday), shutting down all southbound lanes at the Route 50 interchange in Merrifield.
The fire appears to have sparked right as the afternoon rush hour was getting underway. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported at 4:16 p.m. that it has units on the scene working to extinguish the fire.
“Currently no clue as to how long the entire roadway will be closed,” a fire department spokesperson told FFXnow.
There have been no reported injuries resulting from the fire, according to FCFRD, which notes that the express lanes are open.
The Virginia Department of Transportation advises that drivers find an alternate route. VDOT traffic cameras suggest vehicles backups on the Beltway extend past Tysons to the Lewinsville Road bridge.
Units are on the scene of a tractor-trailer fire I495 southbound just after Arlington Boulevard (Rte 50). All SB lanes are being shutdown at Rte 50. Crews working to extinguish the fire. #FCFRD #traffic pic.twitter.com/c6OBEyOKOJ
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) July 6, 2022
Fairfax: 495SB (Beltway Outer Loop) at Route 50: All SB lanes closed due to tractor-trailer fire. Pls use alternate route. pic.twitter.com/5wspWvhiUb
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) July 6, 2022
