Semi-truck loses load on SR 99; long backup ensues



SEATTLE -- A semi-truck bearing an oversized load got stuck on Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct, temporarily blocking traffic on the elevated roadway.

The accident happened midday Wednesday on Highway 99 southbound through downtown. The truck was carrying two large spools, each weighing as much as half a ton, that struck the underside of the northbound deck overhead.

A front-end loader was brought in to reposition the spools on the truck bed, and Seattle police said the driver would be cited by the city Transportation Department's commercial vehicle enforcement.

Washington state Department of Transportation also sent bridge engineers to evaluate any damage, but they found it safe, and the road reopened within about two hours.



The accident came a month after a fish truck tipped over on the viaduct, spilling its load and snarling rush-hour traffic for hours.