Operation to Defuse WWII Bomb Paralyzed Traffic on Italy's Main Highway - Video

ROME (Sputnik) - Traffic on Italy's most important highway, the Autostrada A1, was blocked for over two hours on Sunday morning due to an operation to defuse an unexploded US-made WWII bomb, Italian media report.

The 250-kilogram (550 pounds) bomb was found earlier this week in the bed of the Paglia River near the city of Orvieto in central Italy, the SkyTg24 broadcaster said.

Local authorities decided to proceed with the deactivation on November 20, declaring a safety zone of around one kilometer (0.6 mile) around the bomb. Around 2,400 people were evacuated from the area as a precaution early on Sunday. Rail traffic on the Rome-Florence high-speed line was also suspended.

+++RIMOZIONE ORDIGNO BELLICO AD ORVIETO: CHIUSA LA A1 DA ORTE+++
E' scattata la chiusura dell'autostrada A1 tra Orte e Valdichiana in direzione Nord Aperta nell'altro senso di marcia verso Sud
Personale di Autostrade e polizia stradale sta facendo uscire tutti a Orte pic.twitter.com/tDhKTMkXmI

— Tgr Rai Umbria (@TgrRaiUmbria) November 20, 2022

Bomb technicians were supposed to complete the operation by 11 a.m. local time (10:00 GMT), but managed to transport the bomb to a quarry, where it will be blown up, nearly 90 minutes ahead of the schedule.

Road and rail traffic has been restored, with the evacuated residents returning to their homes, the broadcaster said.