‘Major issues’ on roadway after rolled semi blocks I-405 in Bellevue
Mar 15, 2017, 5:42 AM | Updated: 11:31 am
Update 2: Hours after a semi-truck rolled over on I-405, spilling its cargo all over the road, commuters are still experiencing slow drive times.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says drivers are still seeing delays on “almost all routes.”
The I-5 express lanes, for example, were late in opening in the northbound direction because of all the congestion in the southbound lanes. The lanes opened at 11:30 a.m.
The I-5 express lanes are going to be a little late in opening in the NB direction due to the long backups. We will keep you updated. pic.twitter.com/K3R2VWHebq
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 15, 2017
Update: Crews are clearing debris from I-405 in Bellevue after a semi-truck crashed near Main Street Wednesday morning.
I-405 UPDATE: Trailer has been removed and crews are now working to clear the debris from the roadway. 👷💪 pic.twitter.com/wwfyCncHfY
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 15, 2017
The Washington State Department of Transportation reports the barrier between I-405 and an off-ramp took 95 percent of the impact.
The rollover on northbound I-405 in Bellevue caused major headaches for commuters.
“We’ve got major issues to deal with this morning,” said KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan.
“We’re looking at about 30- to 40-minute delay on almost every one of our routes, no matter where you are going today. And a lot of that can be attributed to the tractor trailer that flipped over.”
A tow truck has been called to the scene and scanner traffic indicates there may be a diesel fuel spill of about 75 gallons. Traffic is being diverted at Southeast Eighth Street.
The Washington State Patrol says no one was hurt.
The crash caused traffic to bleed over over toward I-90.
Washington State Trooper Rick Johnson said the semi rollover happened just after 5 a.m. and they were able to get two left lanes open just after 6 a.m.
“We’d still really like to suggest people to use alternate routes until we can get more of the traffic flushed out,” Johnson told KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross. “But right now we’re jus waiting for the recovery of the trailer and the semi and then we’ll be able to get everything open.”
The semi was on its side and Johnson said a truck with a boom will be used to upright it and move it off the freeway before being towed away. He Tweeted just after 7:15 a.m. that the tow trucks had arrived but “still no ETA for complete opening.”
“Our main goal here is to get them off the freeway as quickly as possible,” Johnson told Dave Ross. “… Delay your commute. Use alternate routes. Expect those to be heavier and, um, patience.”
Sullivan said there were also issues Wednesday morning in Tacoma after a crash in Fife. He said the backup went from 84th past the scene through Puyallup.
“We haven’t even gotten into the regular stuff yet either,” Sullivan said. “So it’s going to be a tough, tough drive. We’ve got a lot of wet roads out there.”
NB I-405 – ONE lane of traffic open at Main St in DT Bellevue @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/0mvR7J0zfj
— Rob Munoz (@RobKIRO7) March 15, 2017
KIRO 7 contributed to this story. Check back for updates.
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