Tower Bridge Area Reopened After Police Arrested Woman Blocking Road

UPDATE Feb. 1 6:57 a.m.: The West Sacramento Police Department says Tower Bridge and the adjoining roadways have reopened at around 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.: Police say the Tower Bridge remains closed after a woman blocked traffic and claimed she had an explosive device Tuesday afternoon.

Officials are advising motorists to avoid the area.

However, shelter in place requirements have been lifted, according to police.  

Update 5:20 p.m.: Police in West Sacramento are using robots to examine a car parked in the roadway near Tower Bridge.

Around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, a woman stopped the car blocking traffic.

Police say the woman claimed to have an explosive device.

The woman surrendered to police and was taken into custody around 4:30 p.m.

The roadways and walkways surrounding the bridge remain closed at this hour.

Update 4:30 p.m.: Police continue to secure the scene around Sacramento's Tower Bridge this afternoon. 

Around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, a woman stopped her car on the West Sacramento side of the bridge, blocking traffic.

Witness Thomas Dodson says he and his fiance were walking over the bridge when they saw the situation.

"I saw a woman get out of the car and there were some wires in her hand and it looked like they were running from the trunk and she was shoving them into the gas tank of the car," says Dodson. "When I saw that, I immediately grabbed my fiance by the arm and said let's get the hell out of here."

Police confirmed the woman did claim to have an explosive device.

The situation ended peacefully just moments ago with the woman surrendering to police and taken into custody.

No word yet on when the bridge will reopen, as police are still examining the car.

Original: Sacramento's Tower Bridge is shut down this evening as police deal with a driver who stopped her car in the middle of the roadway on the West Sacramento side.

There is concern among officers on the scene that the situation could become dangerous, so access to the area is closed off on both sides of the river.

West Sacramento Police Sergeant Roger Kinney says the woman in the car claims to have an explosive device.

"That's what we have right now, the area is blocked off," says Kinney. "We don't know what the intentions are of this lady but we're trying to establish contact with her. And, we got some mental health clinicians here in the area too to try and establish contact." 

Spike strips have been laid in the roadway and the bridge was raised to keep the driver from heading back into Sacramento.