Almost 400 feet of guardrail was damaged from a collision involving a semi-truck on I-5 near SR 516 in Kent Wednesday morning (Mar. 30, 2022), according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
WSDOT said that the two right northbound lanes of the freeway had to be closed for several hours, “because of a large drop off the side of the road” that needed to get fixed right away due to safety reasons.
About 25 sections of guardrail totaling almost 400 feet – including 100 posts – were damaged in the crash.
There were no reported injuries, but the incident caused a massive traffic jam.
The crash was reported around 4:45 a.m., and wasn’t cleared until around 2:38 p.m.
On I-5 northbound just north of SR 516 there is a disabled vehicle blocking the left lane.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
⚠️ It’s going to be a really slow commute heading north on I-5 from Federal Way this morning. A semi truck collision on northbound I-5 north of SR 516 has closed the right lane. Crews are working to tow the semi. pic.twitter.com/vhwH6dpctz
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
⚠️ Once the semi is removed, our contractor will need to close two right lanes to begin guardrail repairs. About 25 sections of guardrail, including 100 posts, were damaged in the crash. Expect this closure to last through the morning commute. Use alt routes if possible.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
Good morning. ICYMI: We’ve got a big backup on northbound I-5 just north of SR 516 in #Seatac . This is because of a collision involving a semi that damaged some guardrail. Currently the right lane is blocked, but 2 lanes will need to be closed to do repairs soon. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/PfKKaKbsSV
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
If you’re headed to @SeaTacAirport from the south today, you really can’t leave early enough. Crash on NB I-5 near SR 516 has a backup of at least 6 miles that will continue to grow. Leave as early as you can and follow @wsdot_traffic for updates.
— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) March 30, 2022
UPDATE: The semi involved in the collision has been removed from the scene. Now the two right lanes of northbound I-5 just north of SR 516 in the city of #SeaTac will be closed while we do emergency guardrail repair. This closure will last a while so plan ahead/expect delays. pic.twitter.com/BgdUUb5luQ
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
Here’s a picture of the collision from this morning. The guardrail you see is currently under repair now, which requires the two right lanes of northbound I-5 to be closed. Please drive slowly and cautiously through our work zone. pic.twitter.com/66P5ZliHJt
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
Hi Andrey! Almost 400 feet of guardrail was damaged from the collision, and because of a large drop off the side of the road, we need to get it fixed now rather than later for safety reasons. We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope to get the road fully open soon!
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
ALMOST-NOON UPDATE: The two right lanes of northbound I-5 just north of SR 516 in #SeaTac remain closed while we continue guardrail repair from an earlier collision. We greatly appreciate your patience as we continue to make repairs. Please drive slowly through our work zone ?! pic.twitter.com/JZgi2g2mCp
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
Great news… all lanes now open on northbound I-5 just north of SR 516 after an earlier collision required us to replace a significant amount of damaged guardrail. pic.twitter.com/nHxslThhWS
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 30, 2022
