Rush-hour motorists were joined by holiday shoppers in the rush to get home to dinner Monday evening, causing gridlock at several area malls and shopping centers.
The Fair Oaks Mall and Fair Lakes Shopping Center were completely gridlocked.
Parking lots are full and Fairfax County police said the roads are reaching their limits. Police have sent units to try to direct traffic and keep it moving.
"We've been getting calls from citizens that traffic at Fair Oaks Mall and Fair Lakes Shopping Center is completely gridlocked," said Fairfax County police Officer Tawny Wright. "We've heard that the parking lots are completely full, and all that overflow is causing a lot of major congestion."
Other shoppers and motorists reported similar scenes at other area malls and shopping centers.
