Northbound 101 Blocked at Sheffield Drive

[UPDATE] The number two lane was unblocked and open again by about 10:40 a.m., according to the CHP traffic website. Traffic is still heavy back to nearly the Rincon on northbound 101. No injuries have been reported.

[ORIGINAL STORY]

Traffic along the 101 northbound has been stopped since about 7:20 a.m. when a box truck loaded with tires hit a guardrail at Sheffield Drive. A tow truck has been on scene since 8:30 a.m., trying to pull the truck off the barrier without shifting the load and causing it to fall onto the freeway.

The slow lane is closed for the operation, but the open fast lane has been allowing commuters to crawl past. The northbound on-ramp at Sheffield is also closed. Sergeant Shawn Stevens of the CHP office in Santa Barbara estimated the traffic blockage goes beyond Carpinteria.

The Santa Barbara Independent will update this story as information becomes available.