A big rig lost a load of pallets on the 5 Freeway in the city of Commerce, causing a headache for motorists Tuesday morning.
The incident was reported just before 2:30 a.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near Garfield Avenue.
It was unclear if the big rig was involved in a crash or if the pallets just came loose and fell onto the freeway.
Video showed pallets scattered across the road, ultimately leading to a SigAlert for the closure of lanes 2, 3, and 4.
Motorists were still able to get by in a single lane, but aerial video from Sky5 at 4:50 a.m. showed traffic already backed up for about a mile.
The cleanup was expected to take several hours, the California Highway Patrol posted in an update on X.
Officials confirmed the roadway was reopened by 6:30 a.m.
