I-5 express lanes finally reopen after semi-truck fire stalls morning commute

A semi-truck was on fire after a collision around 6 a.m., blocking all lanes of the southbound I-5 express lanes at Mercer Street in Seattle.

Firefighters on-scene were quickly able to quell the blaze; there were no reported injuries. The southbound express lanes remained closed through the bulk of the morning commute, before reopening shortly after 11 a.m.

WSDOT says it will keep the express lanes southbound beyond the normal reversal time. Reversal to the northbound direction will begin at noon.

The southbound I-5 mainline remained open throughout the morning.

WSDOT conducted an initial inspection on the express lanes and found no structural damage from the fire. The collision damaged the guardrail, and the fire melted signs hanging from the overpass.

Tow-trucks arrived on the scene to remove the burnt semi-truck around 7:30 a.m.

Travel times from Snohomish County to Seattle were an estimated 70 minutes above average as a result of the express lane closure.

Whoa! Travel times from #SnohomishCounty to #Seattle are 70+ minutes above average with the I-5 express lanes closed:

-Everett to Sea: 123 min
-Lynnwood to Sea: 109 min

We're also seeing slowdowns on alternate routes. Consider delaying your trip or alternate modes of transit. pic.twitter.com/ul5Mrd0h0b

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) October 4, 2019

This is a developing story — stay tuned for more details as they arrive.

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