Police in Council Bluffs say emergency crews responded at around 7:35-a.m. today (Saturday) to Interstate 80 eastbound at around mile-marker 4, under Interstate 29, for a motor vehicle crash involving a semi-truck. The crash caused authorities to shutdown I-80 eastbound about four hours. Traffic had to be rerouted south on I-29.  The crash investigation indicated the semi was eastbound on I-80 and lost control on the curve striking a guardrail. The semi rolled over, spilling its load, which included an empty tanker truck it was hauling. Debris and diesel fuel covered all lanes of eastbound traffic.

Heavy Towing Equipment and the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) removed the vehicles and cleaned the debris from the roadway. The driver of the semi suffered minor injuries. He was cited for Failure to Maintain Control of a Motor Vehicle. Unfortunately, other predetermined traffic routes were unavailable due to flooding and construction road closures. That caused major traffic backups in the areas of Hwy 92 at Wabash/Harry Langdon Av and the South Expressway.

Officials say they apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused to the motoring public.  The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit.