A landslide blocked a highway near the Canadian-American border

A massive mudslide blocked a freeway south of the Canada-U.S. border in Bellingham, Washington, for nearly 10 hours Sunday.

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced the closure of I-5 at the Iowa Street exit at 5:45 a.m., saying emergency crews were called to the scene and that all northbound lanes were closed and southbound traffic also complicated.

The track was reopened only at 3:00 p.m

Earlier in the day, officials said the walls and barriers were damaged and a geotechnical assessment was needed.

WSDOT shared photos of the damage on social media, showing a semi truck stuck in the mud.

“It will take some time to clean everything up and make the necessary repairs. We have a lot of heavy equipment and personnel working to clear debris,” the agency said in a statement around 10:30 a.m.

“Crews estimate about 2,000 cubic yards of debris spilled across lanes of I-5.”

A detour was in place, but WSDOT said traffic was backed up for three miles, or about five kilometers. Motorists were advised to use alternative routes or expect significant delays.