Hwy 20 outside of Sioux City reopens after semi fire

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — UPDATE (5:15 p.m.): Highway 20 just east outside Sioux City has reopened.

Officials said it reopened to traffic at 5:10 p.m.

The highway was closed during most of the daytime after a semi hit a empty side dump semi-tractor-trailer hit a construction barrier just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. The semi tractor and trailer became jackknifed and then caught fire.

The semi-tractor is a total loss, according to the sheriff’s office and no injuries were reported. Part of the highway was damaged by the incident.

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(4:55 p.m.): Highway 20 is still closed Tuesday afternoon as it get closer to closing time for most of Siouxland.

Detour information can be found on the Iowa 511 website .

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PREVIOUS (2:45 p.m.): According to Woodbury County Emergency Management, Highway 20 is now expected to reopen at 3:15 p.m.

“I don’t have any more details about the accident, but I know crews are cleaning up diesel and patching the road with asphalt,” said John Holmes with Woodbury County Emergency Management.

Holmes said he would send confirmation when the road is reopened.

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PREVIOUS (11:42 a.m.): In a release, the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office said that the semi fire started at around 8:55 a.m. when an empty side dump semi-tractor-trailer hit a construction barrier.

The semi-tractor-trailer ended up jack knifed after hitting the jersey barrier on Highway 20 and caught fire.

The semi-tractor is a total loss, according to the sheriff’s office and no injuries were reported. Part of the highway was damaged by the incident.

The damaged portion of the highway is currently being evaluated and is expected to be patched.

The release gives an estimated reopening time of 2 p.m. Detour information can be found on the Iowa 511 website.

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PREVIOUS: (11:10 a.m.): Highway 20 remains closed after a semi caught on fire Tuesday morning.

According to the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, the semi caught on fire after it hit a construction barrier. Highway 20 has been under construction since April as part of a reconstruction project.

The sheriff’s office said that they believe the driver was uninjured.

The road will remain closed for the time being as the county is waiting for the road to be thoroughly inspected. The county sheriff’s office did not provide an ETA. You can monitor the road closure from the Iowa 511 website.

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PREVIOUS: A semi fire on Highway 20 is delaying traffic Tuesday morning.

The fire appears to be just east of the Highway 20/75 interchange, possibly near Buchanan Avenue.

Firefighters from Lawton, Sergeant Bluff, and Moville are currently at the scene assessing the fire.

The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office said that Highway 20 between Charles Avenue and Highway 75 is currently closed due to the fire. Traffic is being redirected so if your commute takes you through the area, expect delays.

This is a developing story. KCAU 9 has a reporter at the scene and we’ll continue to provide updates as we learn more.

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