Route 65 to be shut down for hours after tree topples onto tractor-trailer near Sewickley

A stretch of Route 65 near Sewickley reopened Friday night after being closed for about 6½ hours because of a tree that toppled onto a tractor-trailer.

The southbound lanes of the busy highway parallel to the Ohio River reopened at about 9:30 p.m., while the traffic on northbound lanes was moving by 6 p.m., PennDOT officials said.

The accident near the intersection of the Ohio River Boulevard and Walnut Street closed a portion of the highway in both directions at about 3 p.m. as crews worked to clear the wreckage.

Neither the truck driver nor anyone else appeared to be injured in the incident, with medics called off shortly after arriving at the scene, an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said.

Initially, officials closed only the northbound lanes of Route 65, Allegheny County officials reported.

Sewickley: Vehicle crash w/tree on tractor trailer - Ohio River Blvd at Walnut St; emergency units on scene. Route 65 is closed currently in the Northbound direction.

— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) February 5, 2021

By 4:15 p.m., all lanes of Route 65 were closed to traffic from Hazel Lane in Edgeworth and Walnut Street in Sewickley, PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said.

Sewickley police are investigating the cause of the crash.