West Virginia mudslide strands thousands on highway for more than 8 hours
CBSN
Thousands of motorists were stranded for more than eight hours along a section of rural interstate highway in southern West Virginia early Friday after a mudslide caused by heavy rains blocked a storm drain the previous night, flooding and completely shutting down the northbound lanes.
Traffic backed up for 12 miles along the West Virginia Turnpike about 20 miles south of Charleston, the state capital. Traffic was not rerouted, and many motorists along the mountainous route had no choice but to remain in their vehicles overnight.
One lane eventually opened in the early morning of Friday but traffic remained a standstill afterwards for hours, according to a statement provided to CBS News by West Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson Jennifer Dooley.
