10 Freeway reopens after hours of gridlock in Santa Monica

The 10 Freeway reopened Friday evening after being closed for much of the afternoon due to a fatal accident involving two big rigs and a minivan in the McClure Tunnel, which links the 10 Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway.

Traffic was jammed across a large area of Santa Monica as cars on both the 10 Freeway and PCH were diverted around the tunnel.

The 10 reopened after 6:30 p.m.

Santa Monica officials put out a statement saying: “The McClure Tunnel has reopened and normal traffic has been restored. Thank you for your patience while the investigation was conducted.”

It was not immediately clear who was killed as crews continued to clear the crash site, California Highway Patrol Officer Peter Bishop said.

Santa Monica spokeswoman Robin Gee said the minivan was carrying seven people. One of two people severely injured in the crash had to be airlifted to a local hospital, she said. Six others were in stable condition.