Commuters on Interstate 5 in Federal Way experienced significant delays Wednesday afternoon following a rollover crash involving a military vehicle. The incident, occurring just south of South 272nd Street, brought traffic to a near halt as multiple northbound lanes were blocked, as reported by The Seattle Times. The highway, which funnels countless vehicles daily, was squeezed into a single file of cars through the HOV lane.
🚨CLEARED: The collision on NB I-5 south of 272nd St in Federal Way has cleared. All lanes are open!
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) April 10, 2024
Thank you all for your patience during this collision and we thank the crews for getting the roadway cleared. Expect delays as traffic clears through the area. https://t.co/jiTOTzA0F4 pic.twitter.com/QSRWKd69Ru
After the vehicle rolled onto its side shortly after 11:30 a.m., a backup ensued, stretching at least 7 ½ miles, as per KOMO News. Though the roadblocks were initially expected to create protracted delays, tows worked to get the vehicle upright before 2:30 p.m., and the scene was cleared around two hours later, assuaging the gridlock that had been anticipated to last much longer.
Washington State Patrol has confirmed that, fortunately, no serious injuries resulted from the rollover. "No serious injuries were reported," State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson said, as stated by The Seattle Times. The lanes began reopening incrementally after 40 minutes of complete obstruction, with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announcing that three right lanes remained closed as of 2:20 p.m.
Despite the initial traffic snarl, the northbound lanes were fully operational again later in the afternoon. Details about how the military vehicle came to roll over in such a disruptive manner on this bustling artery were not made available, according to KIRO 7, leaving the public to speculate on the circumstances amidst their travels resuming pace.
