Editor's note: Virginia State Police initially said the trash truck entered the Downtown Tunnel around 4:30 p.m. Elizabeth River Crossings, the operator of the tunnel, has since told News 3 the truck entered the tunnel around 3 p.m.
The Downtown Tunnel was closed for over two hours Wednesday after a garbage truck's forks hit the ceiling, causing it to get stuck in the tunnel, Virginia State Police say.
The incident happened when the truck was traveling on I-264 westbound from Norfolk to Portsmouth around 3 p.m., Elizabeth River Crossings says.
State police shared a picture of the truck while it was stuck in the tunnel. The picture shows its forks — parts of a trash truck that are mounted on the front and used to lift dumpsters — scraping along the tunnel's ceiling.
State police said the driver of the trash truck was charged.
The driver is facing five charges, which are listed below:
- Reckless Driving General
- Over Height Limits
- Driving in the left lane where prohibited
- Two counts of Disregarding a Flagger
Shortly before lanes reopened, state police said crews were trying to deflate the truck's tires to get it out of the tunnel.
State police say about 229 feet of the ceiling tiles were damaged, and engineers are working to assess the overall impact.
