Highway 99 sees closures from flooding, heavy traffic and jackknifed semi-truck, CHP says
Because of flooding and a jackknifed semi-truck on the southbound side of Highway 99 in Modesto on Monday morning, the California Highway Patrol urged drivers to find other routes.
The pair of incidents caused major delays for commuters, according to the CHP’s Modesto office. By 8:30 a.m. it appeared that both were being addressed. However, the traffic backup was expected to last well after that.
Semi-truck jackknifed
At about 6 a.m., CHP responded to reports of a semi-truck that jackknifed on the southbound side of Highway 99 near Kansas Avenue. The female driver of the semi was reported to have minor injuries, according to CHP’s Modesto office.
The number one and number two lanes were closed for several hours as a result of the incident. Debris was cleared as a tow company was called in to remove the truck from the scene.
At about 8:30 a.m., CHP Modesto reported the truck was being towed off the highway. By 9 a.m. the two lanes had not yet been reopened. By noon, one lane remained closed for repair of a guardrail.
Flooding
At about 5:30 a.m., flooding was reported on Highway 99 near Tuolumne Boulevard. The water forced the closure of the number two and three lanes.
Two vehicles were reported to be floating, with one driver standing on top of his or her vehicle to communicate with first responders, according to CHP traffic incident logs.
Caltrans started to pump the water out at about 8:30 a.m. and reported receding waters around that time. By 9 a.m., both lanes were still under a hard closure.
“We highly encourage all motorists to seek alternate routes through the area. Expect delays through the morning hours,” read a CHP - Modesto Facebook post.
By noon, all lanes on the southbound side of Highway 99 near Tuolumne were reopened.
This story was originally published January 22, 2024 at 9:46 AM.
