SPOKANE, Wash. — Drivers who commute through downtown Spokane faced heavy traffic on Monday morning because of two crashes.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported the two crashes were blocking traffic on eastbound I-90 near the Maple Street on-ramp. The crashes have since cleared, but for more than an hour they blocked the right lane and slowed down traffic in the area as drivers were forced to merge.
WSDOT reported the two separate collisions were just a tenth of a mile apart from each other.
As of 8:30 a.m., the traffic was so bad that it was causing backups on Highway 195 Northbound. WSDOT said drivers could use Thorpe Road to access Inland Empire Way as a detour to downtown Spokane.
Photos from the scene showed several vehicles involved in one of the crashes along with several firetrucks on the scene. The other crash appears to involve a semi-truck.
The crashes have cleared as of 8:40 a.m. but drivers should watch for any remaining backups in the area.
This is a breaking news story. KREM 2 News will post more information as it becomes available.
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