Metal Shard Madness on SR-395 Grinds Tri-Cities Traffic to a Halt

Metal Shard Spill in Kennewick Stops Traffic

It was chaos on Tuesday morning as crews tried to clean up metal shards spilled all over the highway in Kennewick.

Semi Spills Metal Shards Onto SR-395 in Kennewick

on Tuesday morning, a semi carrying boxes of metal shards lost part of its load spilling the shards all over the highway and stopping traffic. The semi was driving the unsecured load in the southbound lane of SR-395 when the boxes fell off the trailer. The metal shards spilled out over the entire freeway covering both lanes and the nearby onramp. The accident happened on SR-395 near the Columbia Drive on-ramp.

Kennewick Crews Clean with Street Sweeper

After the metal shards closed the highway, the Washington State Patrol and WSDOT East worked together to remove them. The Washington State Department of Transportation East used a street sweeper to wipe off the metal shards o open one lane for traffic while they cleaned the rest of the spill. While the sweeper was removing the shards, the CVD Officer was inspecting the semi.

Secure Your Loads Before Heading Out

This is another great reminder to make sure that when you are moving stuff in the back of a truck or trailer, make sure you secure your load. Make sure it is tied down securely with adequate straps for the situation. If you have any questions about the best way to secure your load, you can get great tips and advice on the Washington State Department of Ecology website for that very topic.