I-84 reopens after hours of closures due to major crashFree

Interstate 84 in Oregon reopened late Monday afternoon after hours of closures due to a major crash that moved a highway barrier and damaged the roadway.

About 6:45 a.m. an eastbound semitruck with a crane boom and a flatbed trailer blew a tire, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation, causing a 47-mile closure both east and westbound between Troutdale, Ore., and Hood River, Ore. The westbound closure was extended to The Dalles, Ore., a little before 3 p.m.

ODOT announced the highway reopened in both directions to traffic at 3:35 p.m.

“The truck, operated by Marvin Klopfenstein, 37, plowed through the cement barrier into the eastbound lane where it jackknifed and rolled onto its side. The truck slid on the cement barrier and caught on fire. The driver escaped with only minor injuries,” according to an ODOT statement.

The agency advised travelers to detour onto Highway 26 or use state Highway 14 in Washington for most of the day, but hours of vehicle detours caused congestion.

Both east and westbound Highway 14 were closed to vehicles over 10,000 GVW between Milepost 19 Evergreen Boulevard, east of Washougal, and the Hood River Bridge for most of the day, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. WSDOT said on Twitter that the closure was to ensure access for emergency responders.

Don Hamilton, a spokesperson for ODOT, told KGW that the closure extension to The Dalles was due to heavy congestion on state Highway 14 in Washington. ODOT tweeted in the early afternoon that truck parking areas in Hood River were full.

According to ODOT, about 200 gallons of fuel, oil and antifreeze leaked from the vehicle onto I-84. The pavement was gouged in places that needed to be repaired before the highway reopened.

ODOT was assisted by the Multnomah County, Ore., Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Cascade Locks, Ore., Fire, Gerlock Towing and Purdy’s Towing. The U.S. Ecology Department responded for environmental cleanup.