Crash closes I-5 Bridge southbound lanes
The I-5 bridge looking north from the southeast tower into Vancouver. Each counterweight atop the towers weighs nearly 700 tons.
Originally published September 5, 2012 at 6:12 p.m., updated September 5, 2012 at 9:27 p.m.
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All three lanes of the southbound Interstate 5 Bridge were closed when a motorcycle crashed Wednesday evening.
About 5:40 p.m., a motorcyclist, whose identity and gender police did not provide, laid the bike down to avoid hitting a car in front, said Sgt. Pete Simpson with the Portland Police Bureau. The motorcyclist and passenger suffered minor injuries and were transferred to an area hospital. Their names were not released.
Emergency responders closed the southbound lanes of the I-5 Bridge, causing rush-hour traffic to back up along the I-5. Along with Portland police, Portland Fire & Rescue and AMR responded to the scene.
By 7 p.m. the accident was cleared and all three lanes were opened, but traffic was still moving slowly.
