A collision involving several vehicles on I-270 near Democracy Boulevard caused a chemical spill, closing multiple lanes on the highway Thursday morning and backing up rush hour traffic, according to Montgomery County Police and Pete Piringer, spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS).
MCFRS personnel were dispatched to the scene at 7:43 a.m. and at 7:46 a.m., Piringer posted on X (formerly Twitter) that there was a collision near the Westlake Terrace bridge in Bethesda between I-270 and Democracy Boulevard.
According to dispatch records, the collision was upgraded to a hazmat incident at 7:48 a.m.
Piringer provided an update at 7:55 a.m., explaining that the collision involved several vehicles, including an overturned truck, and there were pesticides involved.
The Maryland State Highway Administration posted on social media at 9:33 a.m. announcing that all lanes opened back up.