Northbound Highway 101 traffic in the Gaviota area was flowing again Monday, nearly three hours after being shut down by a multi-vehicle accident involving a big-rig, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The accident, involving as many as six vehicles, occurred shortly before 6 a.m. near the Gaviota Rest Area, according to Capt. Dave Zaniboni of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Traffic was diverted off the highway at Mariposa Reina until shortly after 9 a.m., when both lanes were reopened, the CHP said.
The big-rig involved was a double flatbed, with the second trailer flipped over, spilling a load of cardboard boxes across the highway, Zaniboni said.
Both northbound lanes were closed, and one southbound lane was shutdown, causing major traffic backups in the area.
The southbound lanes were both reported open as of 8:40 a.m.
There were no injuries, Zaniboni said.
Detoured traffic was being rerouted to Highway 154 over San Marcos Pass.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
