Backup on 5 Freeway North Due to Road Closure

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, as I was attempting to make my way north on Interstate 5 from Santa Clarita, CA to Bakersfield, CA — where the final exam was taking place for one of the three classes I was teaching that session at DeVry University — I encountered a massive backup on Interstate 5 North in Castaic.

Apparently a tractor-trailer had broken down a few miles up the pass and the entire freeway was closed to northbound traffic. How far up the pass the truck was I was unsure, just as I still cant entirely understand how one broken down truck can completely close down a freeway. Nevertheless, there was no way I was getting to Bakersfield on the 5 north anytime soon.

I was able to get off just in time to avoid getting stuck in it, but was amazed at how far the backup extended: basically from the Hasley Canyon overpass presumably all the way up the 5 to where the truck was actually stopped. As you can tell by the short clip I filmed, the backup I passed while driving on the southbound freeway was easily three to five miles, but the entire backup was most likely closer to ten if you were able to follow it up all the way to where the traffic was first stopped.

Fortunately the final I was giving was one that did not require my immediate presence (students had been given it via PDF the week before and asked to complete various tasks in Microsoft Word and Excel — some students had even finished it before the last class). Nevertheless I was determined to get to Bakersfield I felt it was my duty and obligation. Plus it was the last night of class and I wanted to see my students and celebrate their achievement.

So, I continued on the 5 south, merged onto the 14 north, drove all the way to Mojave where I intersected with and merged onto Highway 58 West and drove all the way to Bakersfield. The entire effort took me roughly 2.5 hours, but I finally made it to class by roughly 7:15 p.m. that night (class began at 6:00 p.m.) and assisted my students!

Category:

Travel & Events

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• university
• santa
• clarita
• bakersfield
• castaic
• interstate
• north
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• closure
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• matthew
• gilbert
• doctorious