Traffic heading north on the Malahat was slowed for approximately two hours Thursday (March 2) after an 18-foot-long, 10,000-pound industrial drill bit fell off a truck. (Courtesy of West Shore RCMP)

Traffic heading north on the Malahat was slowed for approximately two hours Thursday (March 2) after an 18-foot-long, 10,000-pound industrial drill bit fell off a truck. (Courtesy of West Shore RCMP)

Loose drill bit blocks Malahat traffic

10,000-pound, 18-foot drill bit broke loose from truck, blocking Thursday traffic

A rogue drill bit caused delays Thursday for traffic heading north on the Malahat section of Highway 1.

But it wasn’t just any drill bit – this 18-foot-long industrial bit is estimated to weigh between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds.

The bit fell off the back of a moving truck around 11:30 a.m. after the straps securing it broke loose, the West Shore RCMP said in a March 3 release, and it blocked one lane on the highway for approximately two hours.

There were no injuries or damage to vehicles during the incident, and the driver of the truck which lost the bit remained on scene.

The driver was ticketed for having an insecure load under the Motor Vehicle Act.

READ MORE: Noise complaint leads police to stolen truck, and crossbow in Metchosin


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