TRAFFIC ALERT | Congested traffic on Mill, Main, Houser in downtown Renton

A traffic accident has congested traffic in the area around the downtown Renton library. Motorists should avoid the area until at least 1:30 p.m.

July 25, 2013 3:39 pm
Workers lift a truck that broke an axle when it hit a curb on the turn from Mill Avenue to Bronson Way Thursday afternoon
Workers lift a truck that broke an axle when it hit a curb on the turn from Mill Avenue to Bronson Way Thursday afternoon

UPDATED:

Traffic in Downtown Renton was a mess Thursday afternoon following an accident on the turn from Mill Avenue to Bronson Way, near the library.

According to police on the scene, the driver of a truck towing a backhoe on a trailer was swinging wide to make the turn when a car passed him on the left, forcing the driver to jerk the wheel to the right. The wheels of the trailer hit the curb, breaking an axle and nearly tipping the backhoe off the trailer.

Workers used cranes and tow trucks to right the truck and trailer before moving it to another trailer and out of the area.

Traffic backed up around the accident, creating problems for drivers trying to get around the downtown core.

original post:

Eastbound traffic has been shut down on Mill Avenue at South Third Street/Houser Way South in downtown Renton due to a traffic accident at about noon Thursday.

Heavy congestion is reported on Mill, Main and Houser, with city officials urging that motorists avoid those streets and nearby areas until at least 1:30 p.m..