UPDATE 6:40 P.M.: All lanes of Richmond-San Rafael Bridge are now open
UPDATE 2:50 P.M.: WB lanes of Richmond-San Rafael Bridge closed until 5-6 P.M.
UPDATE 9:50 A.M.: The westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 580 where a United
Parcel Service big-rig crashed this morning in the San Quentin Prison area
will remain closed until about 2 p.m.
SAN RAFAEL (KRON) — A big rig crash on west bound 580 near San Quentin has shut down most lanes headed into and out of Marin County across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge at Main Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP reported there were several small explosions related to a fire in a UPS truck apparently when the fuel tank was punctured. The fire was reported just short of 5:30 a.m. Friday after the double-trailer truck struck the center divide.
The CHP is reporting one of the trailers the big-rig was towing caught fire. While the fire was mostly contained just before 7 a.m., as the firefighters cleared out the contents of the trailer, the fire continued smoldering.
The driver of the UPS truck has reported there were 50,000 pounds of contents described as household materials in the first of two trailers being towed by the big rig.
Traffic is being diverted around the crash as crews work the scene, according to the CHP. Officials expect the cleanup of the scene to take several hours to complete. Officials have not released times of when they expect the roadways to be cleared, inspected for safety, and reopened to traffic.
Here is what the CHP tweeted Friday morning:
CHP Marin @CHPMarin 6m6 minutes ago
Report of big rig collision w/b 580 west of San Quentin. Vehicle possibly on fire. CHP and fire on the way.
Stay with KRON 4 News for more on this developing story. If you are sitting in traffic because of this accident, send your photos to KRON at breakingnews@kron4.com.