Interstate 80 in Northern California was closed for several hours on Tuesday after a semi truck went off the road and into a deep embankment.
The accident and subsequent traffic disruptions occurred on December 8th along eastbound I-80 in the Sierra between Cisco and Kingvale near Rainbow.
The truck and trailer are still being recovered from the embankment area on I-80 EB near Rainbow. Updated ETO is noon. pic.twitter.com/SaZp2tJHuX
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) December 8, 2020
According to CBS Sacramento, the semi truck went off the road for undetermined reasons before 9 a.m. The incident forced the closure of the 2nd eastbound lane for around three hours as crews worked to scoot the stuck rig closer to the roadway to allow for easier towing.
Efforts are underway for truck recovery on I-80 EB at Rainbow. The interstate remains closed to eastbound traffic with an estimated time for reopening around 11 am. pic.twitter.com/zekN4KfG5e
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) December 8, 2020
After maneuvering the rig close to the roadway, officials then completely shut down eastbound I-80 between Cisco and Kingvale for approximately an hour and a half as they removed the rig from the roadside ditch.
During the closure, motorists were diverted onto Old Highway 40, but tractor trailers were held until the time of reopening.
I-80 eastbound closure at Rainbow is in effect. Passenger vehicles diverted onto Old Hwy 40. Commercial vehicles being held. @MelanieHunterTV
— CHP – Gold Run (@CHPGoldRun) December 8, 2020
All lanes were reopened at around 1:55 p.m. It is not clear whether the truck driver was injured in the accident.
The incident has been cleared and all I-80 EB lanes have reopened. https://t.co/X99CKjmOmm
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) December 8, 2020