27 tons of dirt spill onto I-680 after crash, severe traffic alert issued

A big rig that overturned and spilled 27 tons of dirt onto the roadway early Friday on Interstate 680 in Pleasanton is lifted up. The accident resulting in major traffic delays. A big rig that overturned and spilled 27 tons of dirt onto the roadway early Friday on Interstate 680 in Pleasanton is lifted up. The accident resulting in major traffic delays. Photo: CHP Dublin Photo: CHP Dublin Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close 27 tons of dirt spill onto I-680 after crash, severe traffic alert issued 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

A big rig overturned and spilled 27 tons of dirt onto the roadway early Friday on Interstate 680 in Pleasanton, causing all southbound lanes to shut down for nearly six hours, authorities said.

By about 10:50 a.m., one southbound lane remained closed.

The collision occurred just before 5 a.m. near Bernal Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Officers received reports of two vehicles, including a white Honda Civic, driving recklessly on the highway, said Officer Kevin Johnson, a CHP spokesman.

The vehicles were weaving in and out of lanes before the crash and one vehicle was traveling about 100 mph, he said.

The two cars crashed and the Honda Civic continued driving southbound. As the Honda Civic fled the scene, the vehicle sideswiped the big rig causing it to overturn into the guardrail, Johnson said. The Honda Civic fled the scene of that crash too, he added.

The crash resulted in 27 tons of concrete sand to dump into the road.

All southbound lanes were closed and a severe traffic alert was issued for the area. All lanes were expected to reopen by 1 p.m. Two southbound lanes were reopened just before 11 a.m.

The big rig was overturned in the middle lane and tow trucks were on scene to clear the roadway.

“The trickiest thing is the big rig tractor, which is hanging over the guardrail, … once they take away the trailers that tractor is going to want to slide down that embankment,” Johnson said.

Sand needs to be removed from the trailers before crews can move the big rig, Johnson added.

Minor injuries were reported.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani