Semi crash closes southbound I-5 in Downtown Seattle for hours

SEATTLE — All lanes of southbound Interstate 5 were closed in Downtown Seattle for a crash involving a jackknifed semi Tuesday morning.

All lanes were back open by about 10:40 a.m.

The Washington State Department of Transportation first reported the crash near James Street at 3:37 a.m. Tuesday. The highway was closed between the James Street and Interstate 90 exits.

State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson said the semi hit a barrier and leaked diesel fuel.

The semi was towed away and a WSDOT incident Response team then had to clean up the fuel and sweep the road before reopening the final lane.

At one point, traffic was backed up 6.5 miles.

No one was hurt.

This is the scene SB I-5 near James St. Semi v. barrier non injury collision that occurred a couple hours ago. Traffic is getting by and hoping to get it cleaned up shortly. pic.twitter.com/gnsJLahiw9
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) August 27, 2024

UPDATE 3: All lanes of SB I-5 remain blocked near James Street in Seattle for a jack-knifed semi that spilled fuel. Express lanes are open. Tow & WSP are on the scene. There is no ETA on reopening. This will take a while to clear, use alternate routes & expect significant delays. https://t.co/0TS9mYmgcd pic.twitter.com/ad18LAr28c
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) August 27, 2024

Heads up if you’re heading into downtown Seattle this morning. All lanes blocked southbound on I-5. https://t.co/gtwZ18ch8N
— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) August 27, 2024

Semi crash closes southbound I-5 in Downtown Seattle for hours

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