BELLINGHAM, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to a report of a rollover crash on northbound I-5 by Iowa Street about 11:40am today, October 28th.
Shortly after, there were reports of multiple crashes in the southbound lanes in approximately the same area.
Initial reports were of the Iowa Street northbound I-5 on-ramp being closed and a single lane of both northbound and southbound I-5 remaining open.
As of 12:20pm, both northbound and southbound traffic was backed up for miles between Meridian and Samish Way.
At 1:10pm, after the vehicles involved in the rollover crash had been cleared, Washington State Patrol troopers closed all lanes of northbound I-5 at Lakeway Drive and the on-ramp from Iowa Street to allow an oversize boat on a trailer to be backed off of I-5 to Iowa Street.
As of 1:20pm, all lanes were reopened.
WSP Trooper Rocky Oliphant said troopers initially responded to a report of an oversized load, a semi truck pulling the boat on a trailer, blocking the end of the on-ramp since it was too tall to make it under the Alabama Street overpass (15-feet, 2-inches). While awaiting assistance to be able to back the load off the interstate, several crashes occurred in the southbound and northbound lanes. The only injuries occurred with the rollover crash.
None of the crashes involved the semi truck nor its trailer with the boat.