Traffic

Traffic alert: Tanker rolls over, stops traffic on busy on-ramp to state Route 16

A rolled-over tanker has traffic backed up on the ramps at state Route 16 and South Sprague Avenue in Tacoma Monday evening.

Drivers are advised to use alternate routes, according to a post on X by the Washington State Department of Transportation at 4:43 p.m.

A tanker rolled over on the ramp from state Route 16 to South Sprague Avenue in Tacoma, blocking the exit around 4:43 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.
A tanker rolled over on the ramp from state Route 16 to South Sprague Avenue in Tacoma, blocking the exit around 4:43 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Washington State Patrol Courtesy


Washington State Patrol spokesperson John Dattilo posted on X beginning at 5:24 p.m. that State Patrol and the Department of Transportation are on scene. The closure runs from the intersection of South Sprague Avenue and South 19th Street to state Route 16.

“Expect a lengthy closure,” he wrote.

The truck contained argon gas, but there is no danger to the public at this time, according to Dattilo’s posts.

Two other vehicles were involved in the crash, and their occupants have been taken to local hospitals, he wrote. The driver of the truck was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information about the accident from Washington State Patrol.

This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 5:03 PM.

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Julia Park
The News Tribune
Julia Park is the Gig Harbor reporter at The News Tribune and writes stories about Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, Fox Island and other areas across the Tacoma Narrows. She started as a news intern in summer 2024 after graduating from the University of Washington, where she wrote for her student paper, The Daily, freelanced for the South Seattle Emerald and interned at Cascade PBS News (formerly Crosscut).
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