I-90 WB on Snoqualmie Pass reopens after rockslide hits 3 vehicles

SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Transportation Department says westbound traffic is once more moving along Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass after rocks earlier rolled down a slope and were hit by three vehicles.

Spokeswoman Meagan Lott says one westbound lane reopened late Tuesday afternoon. She says a geotechnical expert said the area was sufficiently stable with the addition of a concrete barrier to deflect any new falling rocks. Officials hoped to reopen the second westbound lane within a few hours.

The rocks that came down before 5 a.m. Tuesday were hit by two trucks and an SUV. The State Patrol says one man in the SUV was treated for a minor injury.

Transportation officials say the slope had been blasted and bolted in an attempt to improve stability. The spot is six miles east of the summit.

Eastbound traffic was not affected.