Updated at 4:41 p.m., Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Accident scene cleared; Nimitz Highway reopened
Advertiser Staff
An overturned tractor-trailer today caused a major traffic problem on Nimitz Highway which was resolved shortly before the start of the afternoon rush hour.Police said the tractor-trailer was turning left from Sand Island Access Road onto Nimitz at 11:07 a.m. when its load shifted, causing it to overturn. The truck struck and brought down the metal-arm pole holding up traffic signals across Nimitz Highway, police said.
The accident forced the closure of two makai-bound lanes on Sand Island Access Road and two west-bound lanes on Nimitz until the truck could be righted and removed.
At 12:58 p.m., all west-bound lanes of Nimitz were closed and traffic was rerouted onto Pu'uhale Road to allow officials to repair the damaged traffic signals and pole.
The state owns the metal-arm pole while the traffic lights belong to the city.
The roadway was reopened at 3:25 p.m.
City Emergency Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said a 52-year-old man, who was driving the truck, was taken to The Queen's Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and later released.
