UPDATE: All Westbound Lanes on I-94 Reopened After Semi Crash, Fire
The right lane of westbound I-94 was blocked at Exit 10 while workers repaired construction barrier struck by a semi truck crash Saturday morning.
UPDATE (5:29 p.m., Aug. 4, 2012): Wisconsin State Patrol reported at 4:01 p.m. that all lanes were reopened and the following information was put out in a news release:
On August 4, 2012 at approximately 9:46am, the Wisconsin State Patrol received a report of a semi that was on fire on I-94 westbound, near the STH 65 overpass (Exit 10 near Roberts). Upon arrival, it was discovered that the semi struck the barrier cushion, near the Exit 10 exit ramp, then traveled along the north barrier wall, creating a small fire on the truck. The driver of the semi was Rodney McCowan (age 51), of St Paul, MN and he was not injured.
Both westbound lanes of I-94 were closed while the fire department extinguished the fire and cleaned up the scene. Traffic was rerouted using the westbound exit and entrance ramps at Exit 10. Once the scene was cleared, the left lane was reopened while repairs were made to the barrier cushion. All lanes were reopened around 3:05pm and the traffic back-up was cleared by 4:00pm. At the longest point there was an approximate six mile back-up during the reroute and lane restriction.
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UPDATE (12:15 p.m., Aug. 4, 2012): The left lane has now opened and the right lane remains closed as workers repair a construction barrier that a semi truck crashed into this morning. Repairs are expected to take at least two more hours.
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ORIGINAL POST (10:39 a.m., Aug. 4, 2012): All westbound lanes of Interstate 94 are blocked at Exit 10 near Roberts because of thick smoke from a semi truck that crashed into a construction barrier at about 9:45 a.m., according to the Wisconsin State Patrol. No one was injured in the crash.
The right lane will be closed for about four hours while workers fix the barrier.
Traffic is being routed off the freeway at the Exit 10 off-ramp, across Highway 65, and back onto the freeway via the on-ramp until at least one lane can be reopened.
The entire I-94/Highway 65 interchage is under construction and the area has seen multiple crashes over the last few months, including a crash on Monday that killed two New Richmond teens.
For up-to-the-minute traffic information, check out the Hudson Patch Traffic Map.
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This post will be updated when more information is available.
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Cheryl McCarten
10:48 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Saw the emergency vehicles racing by and was wondering... thanks!
Brian Schousek
11:29 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Seems like there have been a lot of accidents on 94 recently. Any statisticians or actuaries out there willing to run the numbers and see if this is statistically significant?
Susan
3:58 pm on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Wasn't there a semi fire in this exact location a little while ago? I think the driver fell asleep and hit the bridge pier? Does the construction barrier have anything to do with the repairs from that first semi accident?
Micheal Foley
5:31 pm on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Yep. On Feb. 27. Read all about it: http://hudson-wi.patch.com/articles/traffic-alert-semi-truck-fire-shuts-down-i-94-at-exit-10
Micheal Foley
5:32 pm on Saturday, August 4, 2012
That entire interchange has been under construction for quite some time. There are barriers all over the place.
Susan
7:57 pm on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Thanks, Micheal. I grew up about a mile from there, and to hear about that interchange so frequently on the news, piques my interest.
Cherie
12:37 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2012
I was there yesterday just a minute or less after this happened. I was fortunate I was able to exit at Roberts with no delay. There was debris all over from him hitting the barrier. It was quite obvious he was traveling to fast for the construction zone. I had to remind myself to stay off of 94 from Hammond to Hudson, better yet they need to reduce the speeds to 45 in the construction area.
mark
5:07 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2012
seeing the accident happen in front of me speed wasnt so much the problem as not keeping his eye on the road was.