Semi carrying large wind turbine tower overturns, closing long stretch of I-84 in Eastern Oregon

BAKER CITY, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — A crash along Interstate 84 in Eastern Oregon closed the highway for a substantial stretch Wednesday as road crews work to clear a semi that was carrying a wind turbine tower section.

The crash happened between Baker City and Ontario, near milepost 332, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. The agency has closed I-84 eastbound just outside La Grande, and all lanes of the highway were closed from Exit 304 north of Baker City to Exit 374, three miles west of Ontario.

ODOT tweeted Wednesday night that crews were "making progress on getting this massive load out of the way," but the freeway was still closed in both directions between Baker City and Ontario and eastbound from Pendleton to Baker City.

They said "there are no alternate routes. http://TripCheck.com for updates."

U.S. 30 is closed to non-local traffic and is not a viable detour route for I-84, the agency added.

Closures are expected to last for several hours, according to ODOT. A photo posted by the agency shows an overturned semi cab and a twisted trailer marked with "oversize load." A large section of wind turbine tower appears to be resting on the pavement, having crashed through a concrete barrier.

Credit: Oregon Department of Transportation