Authorities partially closed a major thoroughfare in Alexandria on Monday after a hazardous-materials incident left a white, powderlike substance scattered across the road, officials said.
Alexandria police officers and hazmat units from the Alexandria Fire Department responded to the 5300 block of Duke Street just after 8 a.m. for a possible hazardous-materials spill. Officials said the initial emergency call described a white substance falling from a truck.
“The substance was determined to be caustic, but the exact product has not been identified at this time,” said Taylor King, an Alexandria Fire Department spokesperson. “The source of the spill remains under investigation.”
The city’s fire marshal is continuing to investigate the incident.
A contractor arrived to remove the hazardous substance at 2 p.m., and cleanup would probably last until 4 p.m., King said.
She said Duke Street would probably be reopened to westbound traffic between Pickett Street and Paxton Street shortly after the cleanup.