I-15 shut down for more than three hours Thursday night after a semitrailer truck rolled over and spilled part of its load.
The 6:30 p.m. spill occurred when a northbound semi-trailer carrying a full load of western Australian hardwoods tried to pass a car on the outside lane, said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Burke Frandsen. As the truck moved to the left lane, the load shifted and caused the trailer to tip over.The vehicle skidded on its side for about 400 feet before coming to rest on a diagonal at the 24th Street overpass, Frandsen said. It did not appear the truck had been speeding. No other vehicles were involved and the driver was not injured.
However, traffic came to a standstill because the trailer blocked the entire overpass, Frandsen said. About a fifth of the load also spread over the lanes, and some fell below to 24th Street and some railroad tracks that cross that intersection.
Traffic was diverted onto the 24th Street offramp while crews removed the wreck. The freeway reopened about 10 p.m.