Virginia State Police shut down the Inner Loop of the Beltway just before the American Legion Bridge in McLean, causing miles of delays toward Tysons Corner during rush hour Tuesday.
The Inner Loop was closed at Georgetown Pike for President Joe Biden's motorcade. Biden was bound for a campaign event in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Traffic backed up for more than five miles.
The closure lasted more than an hour. It was lifted at 5:15 p.m. and all on ramps to the Inner Loop were reopened.
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The Roosevelt Bridge outbound was shut down between D.C. and Arlington. The northbound lanes of the GW Parkway were shut down between the Memorial Bridge and the Beltway. And southbound Interstate 270 was shut down at the Beltway.
Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass tweeted about being caught in the traffic.
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The Secret Service closed part of the Beltway again when the President traveled back home from the event. That closure lasted just about 15 minutes but did lead to backups all the way to I-270.
It was not immediately clear why the motorcade caused more traffic than normal or if a rainy evening was a factor.
The U.S. Secret Service provided this statement: "The Secret Service does not specifically discuss the means and methods used to conduct protective operations in order to maintain operational security; however, the agency does work diligently with our state and local partners to make every effort possible to anticipate and minimize potentially adverse impacts to the public and local communities during a protective movement."
By Wednesday's morning commute, normal traffic had resumed.
Stay with NBCWashington.com for updates.
