A tractor-trailer leaking roughly 100 gallons of fuel shut down an entrance ramp to westbound I-64 in Norfolk Sunday night, sending Norfolk Fire-Rescue crews scrambling to keep the spill from spreading near one of the region's busiest interchanges. No injuries were reported, and officials said there were no known environmental or public-health concerns tied to the leak.
Crews were dispatched at 8:41 p.m. Sunday to the scene on westbound I-64 near Exit 277 at Tidewater Drive, according to 13News Now. Firefighters found the fuel pouring from the truck's saddle tank and immediately began working to contain the leak and keep it from spreading further along the highway.
Ramp Closed as Crews Worked Through the Night
The response kept part of the interchange locked down well into the overnight hours. The station's report notes that VDOT confirmed the west entrance ramp to I-64 was closed as of 11 p.m. Sunday while containment work continued. As of the latest update, the incident remained active, with crews still on scene managing the spill.
The exact cause of the leak had not been determined, and the same report notes that investigators were still looking into what triggered it. No cargo, vehicle, or company details tied to the tractor-trailer have been released.
Not the First Fuel Scare on This Stretch of I-64
Fuel-related tractor-trailer incidents are not new to this corridor of I-64 through Norfolk. In December 2023, Norfolk Fire-Rescue responded to a tractor-trailer crash near Tidewater Drive on I-64 eastbound, extinguishing a fire and containing a fuel spill, according to WAVY.com. In May 2025, a tractor-trailer fire broke out on I-64 near Granby Street in Norfolk after the vehicle struck an attenuator; WAVY.com reported that a tire reportedly punctured the fuel line and the friction of the tire dragging across the pavement ignited the leaking fuel. A separate 2024 incident on I-64 eastbound involved a diesel fuel spill that drew a multi-agency response from Norfolk Fire-Rescue, the Hampton Fire Department, VDOT and Virginia State Police, with crews using water and foam to put out the fire, according to WRIC.com.
Drivers Already Navigating Construction Nearby
The fuel leak adds to an already complicated traffic picture around the Tidewater Drive interchange, where VDOT has been managing ongoing I-64 Express Lanes construction. The agency's project materials describe a temporary general-purpose lane allowing motorists headed toward the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel to bypass East Little Creek Road, I-564 and Granby Street exits via a newly built left entrance ramp just past Tidewater Drive. VDOT has also been managing other closures in the corridor, including a weekend shutdown of eastbound I-64 at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel for tunnel repaving that was scheduled to run from Friday night through 5 a.m. Monday.
No details have been released on when the entrance ramp near Tidewater Drive reopened or how much of the leaked fuel was ultimately recovered. Norfolk Fire-Rescue has not indicated whether any additional agencies assisted with the cleanup.
