The southbound lanes of Interstate 680 in Pleasanton finally reopened about 5:30 p.m., more than five hours after a big rig crashed and blocked the busy freeway.
A Friday afternoon traffic nightmare developed after the big-rig overturned shortly before noon on Interstate 680 in Pleasanton, blocking all southbound lanes and one lane on the northbound side of the highway, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
During the clean-up, traffic on southbound I-680 is being directed around the wreck one vehicle at a time. Traffic was backed up to at least San Ramon.
At 4 p.m., all northbound lanes were reopened. During most of the afternoon, one lane of northbound I-680 was closed. Traffic had backed up past Sunol Boulevard.
Traffic also backed up on Interstate 580 from people who could no longer access southbound 680. Patch readers reported westbound traffic clogged all the way to Livermore.
The big-rig flipped onto its side in an apparently solo-vehicle accident at 11:50 a.m. near the Stoneridge Drive off-ramp, said CHP Officer James Evans.
A Sig-alert was issued at 12:07 p.m. after the entire southbound side of the highway was shut down and one northbound lane was also blocked because of the crash, Evans said.
The 50-year-old driver was heading northbound on Interstate 680 when he drifted toward the shoulder, over-corrected and crashed into the center
divide near the Stoneridge Drive off-ramp, said CHP Officer Shawna Pacheco.
When the truck hit the center divide, part of it crossed the divider and the vehicle landed on its right side, blocking all southbound lanes, Pacheco said.
The driver was pulled out from the truck cab and taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley for a complaint of pain, Pacheco said.
One other car was involved in the crash, but no one in that vehicle was injured, according to Pacheco.
A tow truck arrived shortly before 1 p.m. Crews at 2:25 p.m. were also working to clean up about 40 gallons of spilled diesel fuel from the crash, Pacheco said.
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Bay City News contributed to this story.
