Westbound lanes of 101 Freeway reopened after big rig fruit spill

All lanes of the westbound 101 Freeway were cleared Thursday morning after an overturned big rig spilled fruit over the roadway, forcing authorities to shut down the lanes during the morning commute and backing up traffic for miles.

The big rig tipped over at the Tujunga Avenue entrance ramp to the westbound 101 Freeway in North Hollywood about 5:20 a.m., eventually closing all lanes for cleanup.

The toppled truck was apparently carrying a load of limes that spilled and caused a juicy mess across all lanes, according to the CHP’s online traffic incident log. Because of the congestion, the log reported that some drivers were turning around and going the wrong way to exit the freeway.

In another incident Thursday, a big rig that caught fire on the westbound 10 Freeway in Baldwin Park before dawn had been cleaned up and all the lanes reopened about 9:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Ed Jacobs said. The fire, which began just after 5, forced the closure of all but one lane, the CHP said.

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-- Ari Bloomekatz

Map: Approximate location of spill shown in red. Credit: Google Maps