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Bomb threat prompts inspections at bridge tunnels in Hampton Roads

Posted at 12:03 PM, Sep 11, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-11 19:27:24-04

(WTVR) -- Virginia State Police said a threatening phone call received on the twelfth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks slowed traffic at bridge tunnels in Hampton Roads.

M MerrimackWTKR in Norfolk reported state police stepped up patrols and commercial vehicle inspections across Hampton Roads Wednesday morning because of the threat.

Virginia State Police said in a news release that a bomb threat was called in around 7:50 a.m. However, the timeframe of the threat expired, according to the news release sent just after 1 p.m.

As a precaution, state police stepped up patrols and continued commercial vehicle inspections at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel for much of Sept. 11.

Those inspections caused major backups on both sides of the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Traffic was backed up around seven miles in each direction around 12:45. The northbound side of the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel was backed up around six miles.

VDOT said there was no threat to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, but that increased patrols were also taking place.

State police said no incidents were reported in Hampton Roads after the threat.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security assisted Virginia State Police.

Officials said the incident remains under investigation.