Highway 101 at Turnpike Now Open

(Photos: SBCFD)

Update by Edhat Staff
4:00 p.m., December 16, 2017

The number two and three lanes of Highway 101 northbound near the Turnpike exit are now open. The number one lane is expected to open shortly.

Update by California Highway Patrol
3:30 p.m., December 16, 2017

On December 15, 2017, at approximately 9:00 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officers responded to Highway 101 northbound and found a fully-loaded, duel semi-tanker truck and trailer on its side, leaking gasoline onto the roadway.

A blue 2001 Lincoln LS traveling on Highway 101 northbound in an unknown lane collided into the center median.  The Lincoln then traveled across all lanes of traffic and collided with the tanker-truck located in the #3 lane.  That collision caused the tanker-truck to overturn on its side blocking the right-hand shoulder, number two, and three lanes.

One person in the Lincoln had a minor injury and was treated on scene.  The driver of the tanker-truck was not injured. Northbound lanes of Highway 101 near Turnpike are completely shut down for public safety.

Gasoline leaked onto the freeway and into a french drain in the center divider.  Hazmat crews are on scene working to clean up gasoline spills on the freeway and in the surrounding dirt areas.  Highway 101 northbound at Turnpike will be expected to open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. If it is safe to do so the California Highway Patrol will open freeway lanes as permitted. 

Caltrans is repaving sections of the roadway where gasoline disintegrated the concrete.  Traffic is currently being rerouted off Highway 101 onto surface streets and then back onto Highway 101 around Patterson and Fairview Avenues.

California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of this incident and Hazmat teams will remain on scene until the clean-up is completed.

Update by Edhat Staff
12:30 p.m., December 16, 2017

Officials are reporting Highway 101 northbound at Turnpike will be expected to open at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. 

Caltrans is repaving sections of the roadway that where gasoline disintegrated the concrete. 

Traffic is currently being rerouted off Highway 101 onto surface streets and then back onto Highway 101 around Patterson and Fairview Avenues.

Update by Edhat Staff
10:40 p.m., December 15, 2017

Highway 101 northbound is at a complete standstill as a tanker-truck carrying 8,700 gallons of fuel has flipped over near Turnpike after colliding with a sedan on Friday evening.

At 9:00 p.m., Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to the scene and found a fully-loaded, duel semi-tanker truck and trailer on its side, leaking gasoline onto the roadway. After a collision with a sedan, the tanker-truck landed on its side in the number two lane and right-hand shoulder, said Public Information Officer Mike Eliason.

The couple inside the sedan was not injured while the driver of the tanker-truck suffered minor injuries and was being treated on scene. 

The northbound lanes of Highway 101 near Turnpike are completely shut down with traffic backed up. This area will be shut down for an extended period of time and motorists are encouraged to avoid the area, said Eliason. 

The tanker-truck was carrying a total of 8,700 gallons of gasoline. The front trailer attached to the cab was carrying 3,900 gallons of gasoline that is now empty. The second trailer was carrying 4,800 gallons of gasoline and has the potential to lose about half that amount. Fire crews are estimating that 5,000 gallons of gasoline have spilled onto the roadway, said Eliason.

A french drain in the center divider caught some gasoline that had spilled. Hazmat crews are also working to clean up gasoline around the tanker and will clean the spills in the surrounding dirt areas.

The tanker-truck was en route from Long Beach and was scheduled to exit the freeway on Patterson Ave. 

California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of this incident and Hazmat teams will remain on scene for several hours.

Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy
9:07 p.m., December 15, 2017

Big Rig flipped over on Highway 101 Northbound at Turnpike.

CHP Reports

• 9:32 PM: Fluid leaking into drain at a fast pace
• 9:10 PM: Two vehicle traffic collision
• 9:06 PM: Hard lane closure, oil across all lanes
• 9:04 PM: All lanes blocked / Hazmat / Oil tanker on its side / Tanker itself leaking fuel
• 9:01 PM: Big rig on its side, debris all over the roadway
• 9:01 PM: Oil rig and several vehicles involved
• 9:00 PM: Big rig flipped over