405 Freeway closure near Long Beach snarls traffic after big rig crash

All southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway were closed for several hours Tuesday morning after a big rig crashed into the center divider near the 710 Freeway, California Highway Patrol officials said.

Though some southbound lanes have reopened, CHP Officer Peter Nicholson said officials expect lanes on both sides of the freeway to remain closed into the afternoon, causing major traffic tie-ups.

The truck leaked diesel fuel and lost its load of steel rods, which fell across the freeway near Santa Fe Avenue, officials said. Some lanes on the southbound side of the freeway reopened several hours later, but as of noon passage was still limited.

No injuries were reported, the CHP said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the scene because of the fuel leak, but the crash was not being treated as a hazardous materials incident, said Chris Thomas, a spokesman with the Fire Department.