Crash near Exit 11 backed up traffic into Ashland Tuesday evening

Both southbound lanes of Interstate 5 just south of Ashland closed Tuesday evening, July 5, after two trucks carrying wood products crashed under the railroad overpass near Exit 11 just south of Ashland, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). 

ODOT and tow company crews are working to move the cargo and crash debris to the shoulder to get at a single lane open southbound later tonight, ODOT reported shortly after 8 p.m.

A southbound detour is set up using Exit 14 (where Ashland Street/Highway 66 crosses I-5) to Tolman Creek Road to OR 99 (Siskiyou Boulevard) and back on I-5 southbound. Drivers should expect long delays and congestion using the detour, ODOT said in the release, and consider delaying travel until southbound lanes are again open.

UPDATE 10:18 p.m. Tuesday: One southbound lane was open, allowing a 3-mile back-up to start to clear, ODOT announced.

UPDATE 4:14 a.m. Wednesday: ODOT reports traffic still in detour at Exit 14 after light night’s truck crash. Estimated time of reopening is 6 a.m.

UPDATE 6:50 a.m. Wednesday: All lanes are now open.

July 7 update: The crash happened at about 6:26 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, according to an Oregon State Police news release. According to an OSP investigation, southbound traffic had slowed to about 35 miles per hour when a white International CMV, operated by Theresa Thompson, 58, of Albany, rear-ended a Freightliner CMV, operated by Kirpal Singh, 50), of Ontario, Canada. Both semis were fully loaded with plywood which spilled onto the freeway. Thompson was extricated and transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Singh was uninjured. Interstate 5 southbound traffic was detoured for approximately 10 hours.

Source: Oregon Department of Transportation news release. Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at betling@ashland.news or call or text him at 541-631-1313.