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
20 Comments
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Dec 16, 2017 08:20 AMDoes anyone know if the freeway is open yet?
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Dec 16, 2017 04:06 PMThank goodness there are lanes open @Turnpike again. I tried to be smart and take the 154 exit to upper State and Modoc. That was bumper-to-bumper all the way out to Patterson & Hollister!
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Dec 16, 2017 09:15 AMNot sure, but
CHP Ventura
@CHP_Ventura
Closure of US-101: Due to the mandatory evacuation order in Montecito the northbound US-101 will be closing @ Seacliff. CHP is making preparations. Avoid area!
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Dec 16, 2017 06:41 AMIn the beginning it sounded like alittle leak...
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Dec 16, 2017 05:01 AMStill closed. Now I remember KEYT saying that overnight was a possibility.
3:30 AM MOVING CLOSURE UP TO TP [Turnpike] // DETOUR SET UP BY CALTRANS - VEHS CAN GO EITHER CO OR HOLL
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Dec 16, 2017 02:28 AMchp website doesn't have it open yet. What a mess; imagine if it was during the day or commute times...
I guess GPS isn't working so well for those 4 truck drivers?
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1:37 AM 1039 SMITTYS TOW
1:34 AM ROLL 2 HD 1185
11:49 PM ADDTL RP ADVING 4 SEMIS STUCK AT DEAD END ON CALLE REAL NEAR IN AND OUT
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Dec 16, 2017 12:24 AMSounds like the roadway is cleared, as of 12:23 am.
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Dec 15, 2017 10:17 PMAt 10:03, CHP indicated the closure will last 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:52 PMNow responders are trying to figure out where the drainage from the center divider goes...Caltrans on-scene.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:43 PMUpdate: tanker held 8,000 gallons of gasoline. Some has leaked into drainage. Checking 'Granny's field' for extension. In-and-Out also evacuated. This will take a while; to go northbound, take Hollister or Cathedral Oaks around Turnpike.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:32 PMIt looked like a fuel tanker that crashed.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:26 PMJust drove thru there headed south. Extreme smell of gasoline. Seemed very dangerous with the amount of fuel vapor.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:25 PMThank you for being right on it for us!! There's never a good time for something like this, but.... YIKES!
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Dec 15, 2017 09:20 PMBig mess Hard closure if you need UP Dates check out CHP Website...
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Dec 15, 2017 09:19 PMOther places might be evacuated depending on how much the fuel leaks and the clean up..
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Dec 15, 2017 09:18 PMHearing lots of sirens, now I understand why!
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Dec 15, 2017 09:13 PMOn it's side..sorry.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:13 PMSounds like it is a non injury accident with a big rig on it's sode leaking fuel another vehicle involved..CAL FIRE, CHO, SBSO on scene...
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Dec 15, 2017 09:09 PMGas or oil leaking from truck several other vehicles involved in accident...Bebis all over the roadway.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:08 PMHeard S.B. on the scanner but on CHP Website says N.B. I-HOP being evacuated...