Community Police & Fire Transportation

Hazardous materials incident closed Eastbound Highway 16 at Olympic for several hours

Posted on August 14th, 2025 By:

Eastbound Highway 16 was closed at Olympic Drive for several hours early on Thursday, Aug. 14, due to a hazardous materials incident.

Traffic ws being diverted onto Olympic Drive and back onto Highway 16 at 24th Street. Side streets backed up, causing long delays.

The Washington State Department of Transportation posted on social media that the collision was cleared as of 8 a.m. Traffic backups could remain for a while, though.

Image from WSDOT traffic camera.

The collision occurred at 12:45 a.m., when a suspected DUI driver entered a construction zone, according to the Washington State Patrol. The driver struck a piece of equipment that contains hazardous material.

No workers were injured. Troopers arrested the driver.

Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One reported the highway closed at 4:11 a.m.

“There is no danger to the public right now. Westbound 16 remains open and is safe to drive on. However, out of an abundance of caution we have closed eastbound 16,” Trooper John Dattilo said via Twitter.

Dattilo explained in a subsequent post that the driver hit an item “used to measure the density of asphalt to ensure that it meets safety standards.” WSDOT is paving lanes on the highway and the device is designed to make sure the new pavement is safe to drive on.

WSDOT told Gig Harbor Now the device is similar to an X-ray and is about the size of a large shoebox.  It contains cesium-137 and Americium-beryllium.

Both substances are typically used in medical devices and gauges, according to the EPA.