Highway 101 Open After Big-Rig Crash Closed Lanes for Hours, Disrupted Caltrain

Updated 5:10 p.m. Thursday

A big-rig crash on Highway 101 caused major disruptions to train and road travel between San Francisco and South San Francisco for hours on Thursday.

Around 5 a.m., a southbound truck jackknifed through three lanes of the roadway just south of Brisbane, crashing into the fence railing along the right side of the elevated roadway. The crash spilled 160 gallons of fuel onto the road and sent metal and concrete debris into nearby high-voltage power lines, knocking out power to Caltrain.

Caltrain service was halted between San Francisco and South San Francisco, and the three right and center lanes of the freeway south of Sierra Point Parkway were closed.

Train service remained down until about 10:30 a.m. after Caltrain restored power, a spokesperson for the transit agency said.

One of the center lanes of the freeway was reopened just after 8 a.m., but all of the lanes were not open until around 4 p.m., hours later than initially planned. Caltrain workers had to assess the damage to the bridge structure and determine necessary repairs, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Mark Andrews said. Commuters were urged to use other routes, like Interstate 280, throughout the morning.

San Francisco CHP officers and other emergency personnel who responded to the scene found structural damage to the freeway bridge above Sierra Point Parkway that had cut power to Caltrain.

Response crews were able to contain the diesel spill to the roadway.