Removal of 'very old' land mine shut down Washington highway

March 10 (UPI) -- A highway in Washington was shut down briefly so crews could remove an old land mine found on nearby railroad tracks.

Railroad workers discovered the unexploded land mine, which appeared to have ben buried near the tracks for years, while working on the railroad tracks between exits 120 and 119 on Interstate 5.

Joseph Piek, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Joint Base Lewis-McChord, said army officials were able to confirm the object was indeed a land mine.

"The item appears to be a very old landmine that has been buried for a long time," JBLM said in a statement. "The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit determined the munition to be real, and that it should be removed for detonation."

No detour was offered, as drivers were urged to avoid the area and Piek said the highway would be closed for a minimum of 45 minutes while the "unexploded munition" was removed.

"Currently, the site is secured and the munition is surrounded by sandbags. In the interest of public safety, and in conjunction with Washington State Patrol and Washington State Department of Transportation, all southbound I-5 traffic will be stopped at exit 120 at 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, so the least amount of traffic is affected, and so the EOD unit can safely remove the munition and transport it on base for disposal," the statement said.