An 18-wheeler rollover crash shut down traffic for about 10 hours Thursday at the Finesilver Curve, an interchange known to be a dangerous for tractor-trailer drivers.
The crash took place just before 3 a.m. on Interstate 35 southbound to the Interstate 10 West exit, just north of downtown San Antonio. The interchange reopened by 1 p.m.
The 64-year-old driver of the tractor-trailer failed to maintain his lane due to speed, causing the trailer to crash into another vehicle and tip over, according to a preliminary crash report from the San Antonio Police Department.
There were minor injuries, according to the report, though it did not specify who was hurt.
The wreck caused an oil spill that required cleanup from a Hazmat crew.
The Finesilver Curve, completed in 1994, is a notoriously difficult turn for 18-wheeler drivers to navigate. The compound curve, which gets tighter as drivers travel through the ramp, was designed to avoid demolishing more of the neighborhood that sits below.
Drivers who are unfamiliar with San Antonio may run into trouble when they are faced with the sudden drop in the speed limit from 60 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour while navigating merging traffic.
Experts have agreed that the road design is the biggest factor contributing to crashes on the curve, but overloaded trucks and distracted drivers add to the danger.
As of 2019, the Texas Department of Transportation’s improvements focused on adding warning signs, which included flashing lights, speed limit signs, and an image of a tipping truck.