A person was arrested at BWI Marshall Airport Wednesday afternoon, but authorities haven’t said exactly what sparked the large police response and shut down all traffic for an hour.
A statement from the Maryland Transportation Authority said, “Based on statements made by the individual, officers took precautionary measures.”
Earlier Wednesday while all traffic to the airport was blocked for about an hour, the investigation centered on a suspicious vehicle near the terminal.
BWI Airport confirmed on X that law enforcement had cleared the person’s vehicle of harmful materials around 4:15 p.m.
“I didn’t understand what was going on,” traveler Sarah Raskoff told WTOP’s Mike Murillo, who reported from BWI Marshall. Raskoff, from Tennessee, is in town for a conference, and she said she waited about an hour and half after she landed, unclear what was going on.
“I just saw a whole lot of police just quickly clearing the space. And then it very quickly became clear that there was nobody — like it was a very eerie sight … no cars were coming in at all,” Raskoff said, adding that airport staff moved all travelers inside.
UPDATE: Law enforcement has cleared vehicle in question. Please be advised roadway operations will slowly return to normal.
For now, Upper Level roadway is open for both passenger dropoff/pickup.
— BWI Marshall Airport (@BWI_Airport) October 11, 2023
One person who works at the taxi stand said that she saw a man getting arrested.
As restrictions and road closures slowly lifted, some delays were still being seen. Two travelers from Harford County, Maryland, who got to the airport after authorities cleared the suspicious vehicle, had trouble finding a shuttle and decided to walk to the terminal.
“They said they cleared like an hour ago, so we’re like, “OK, we should be fine ‘ … Then we get here and it’s all messed up,” traveler Jeff Corey said.
During the investigation, which started right around the peak of afternoon rush, traffic on Interstate 195 — the main artery to the airport — was blocked for nearly an hour. Travelers at the airport were advised to remain in place, and there was a brief ground stop, as well.
The investigation also suspended light rail service, terminating at the Cromwell station.
The upper level roadway reopened for both passenger drop-off and pickup, and around 5 p.m., the lower level roadway reopened and the airport said there were no more restrictions, but to expect residual traffic from earlier backups.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo, who reported from BWI Marshall Airport, contributed to this report.
