I-5 Reopens to Trucks in Washington State

Interstate 5 near Chehalis, Wash., reopened to truck traffic Thursday night after road crews drained the highway that had been closed since Monday due to flooding from storms, the Seattle Times reported.
 
State police escorted a caravan of trucks north through an area of the interstate that was submerged by water just hours earlier, the paper said.

Crews hope to have all lanes open and to allow all traffic through on Friday, though drivers should be prepared for muddy roads, the Times reported.

A 20-mile stretch of I-5 was closed since Monday’s storm pushed the Chehalis River over its banks, the paper said.

The state Transportation Department spent about $500,000 and had about 100 people working to clear the highway since Wednesday, the Times reported.

The closure cost the state's economy about $4 million a day as some trucks idled and others took detours, the Times said.