PORT ANGELES – US 101 has reopened west of Port Angeles at milepost 238.7 near Herrick Road. The highway closed on Friday morning, July 18 after a tanker truck overturned in Indian Creek, resulting in a fuel spill.
Crews spent the night pumping fuel from the tanker and removing it from the creek.
A water restriction remains in place for the city of Port Angeles. It has shut off its municipal water intake that is fed by the Elwha River. The city is awaiting word from state Ecology on possible contamination in the Elwha which is fed by Indian creek.
Meantime, Governor Bob Ferguson issued the following statement after an accident on Highway 101 near the Elwha River Bridge resulted in a tanker truck overturning and spilling petroleum in Indian Creek:
“This is a devastating accident for Indian Creek and the Elwha River. This spill is nothing short of heartbreaking for local tribes and other Washingtonians who rely on clean, healthy rivers and streams for their food and livelihoods. I am closely monitoring the situation with responding agencies — including its impact on local salmon populations —and will visit the site in the next few days.”