UPDATE (WKOW) -- All lanes on the eastbound Beltline are now clear, per the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Traffic is now moving again, although WisDOT cameras still show substantial backup.
MADISON (WKOW) -- Authorities shut down the two right lanes on the eastbound Beltline near the Monona exits Friday afternoon after seven people got out of a stolen car and ran across the highway.
According to an alert from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the incident took place at 3:59 p.m. Friday at mile marker 264.8, between the exits for South Towne Drive and Monona Drive.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said the backup started when seven people got out of a car that had been reported stolen from Sun Prairie earlier Friday afternoon and ran across the highway. Since then, five of the seven people have been arrested, while two are still at large.
MPD is conducting a search for the remaining two people in a marshy area off Monona Drive, slowing down search efforts. The Madison Fire Department Lake Rescue Team has also been dispatched to the scene.
Traffic on the eastbound Beltline heading out of Madison is currently suffering severe backups, stretching more than two miles back to Rimrock Road. Fryer suggested drivers look for alternate routes.
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