Updated at 11:58 p.m.
Heavy flooding forced the closure of one of Vermont’s busiest thoroughfares on Monday, stranding scores of motorists for hours.
The state Agency of Transportation closed northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 89 from Montpelier to Middlesex, according to Vermont State Police, as well as northbound lanes from Berlin to Montpelier.
“This section of I-89 will remain closed indefinitely,” state police said in a press release just before 11 p.m. Monday. “Once the water recedes, crews from the Agency of Transportation must perform inspections to ensure the roadway is safe before AOT can reopen the interstate.”
Compounding the problem, flooding forced multiple road closures on Route 2 — which runs parallel to the interstate in that region — between Montpelier and Richmond. As of late Monday, state police said, “there are no passable detours around the closed sections of I-89.”
“You can’t get between Montpelier and Middlesex, so everybody is pretty much stuck,” said Vermont Emergency Management spokesperson Mark Bosma.
State police said they were aware of reports that “an unknown number of vehicles are stranded in the vicinity of the on-ramps to I-89 northbound and southbound in Montpelier.” Those motorists were not believed to be at risk of high water, according to state police, but could not move due to flooding and road closures.
The agency said it was working to coordinate a response and help the stranded vehicles travel south. Trapped travelers were advised to stay with their vehicles and call 911 if waters began to rise.
Christina Guessferd, a reporter and anchor for WCAX-TV, wrote on Twitter that her vehicle was among those stuck on the interstate — along with about 200 others.
“It’s unclear when or if I-89 will open tonight; many people will be sleeping in their cars, myself included,” she wrote.
State police attributed the closures to “excessive water on the roadway and the inability of (the) drainage system to keep pace with the volume of water.” The agency said the northbound closure began at around 5:15 p.m. and the southbound closure at around 6:30 p.m.