A semi-truck rollover created a major mess and significant traffic disruption in Bellevue early Thursday morning, August 13, after the truck overturned on the northbound I-405 ramp to eastbound I-90 in the Factoria area. The crash happened around 4 a.m., leaving the truck’s trailer on its side and a large amount of garbage and construction debris scattered across the roadway. The driver was not injured, and authorities said there were no reported injuries from the crash. However, the amount of debris left behind required an extensive cleanup operation and forced the busy ramp to remain closed for several hours during the morning commute.
According to Washington State Patrol, the truck was carrying a massive load of garbage when it overturned while navigating the ramp. FOX 13 reported that the load weighed approximately 96,000 pounds and consisted of construction waste and debris. The trucking company’s owner told the station that a tire blew out while the truck was navigating the ramp, although authorities were still investigating the exact cause. KOMO News reported that investigators also considered whether the truck may have been traveling too fast around the curve. The overturned trailer spilled garbage across the roadway, creating a substantial obstacle for crews and making the cleanup significantly more complicated.
The crash required more than a simple tow. Crews brought in tow trucks and a front loader to remove the overturned trailer and clear the garbage from the ramp. KOMO reported that cleanup operations continued for more than five hours, highlighting the scale of the debris spill. By approximately 8:30 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation said crews had already filled one dumpster with trash collected from the roadway. The ramp eventually reopened around 8:10 a.m., allowing traffic to resume through the interchange.
Because the crash occurred at one of Bellevue’s important connections between I-405 and I-90, the closure created significant delays for commuters traveling through the Factoria area. Drivers using the northbound I-405 connection to eastbound I-90 had to find alternate routes while crews worked to remove the truck and its cargo. The incident also serves as another reminder of how quickly a single crash at a major interchange can affect traffic across the Eastside. With the ramp carrying heavy commuter traffic, even a temporary closure can create backups extending well beyond the immediate crash scene.
Fortunately, the driver escaped without injury, and the roadway was eventually cleared. Authorities continue to investigate what caused the heavily loaded semi to overturn.