Massive Boat Gets Stuck In Tunnel Under Los Angeles Airport

A truck driver hauling a massive boat on Thursday managed to get it stuck in a tunnel near the Los Angeles International Airport, inconveniencing drivers, folks on their way to fly and boaters in a rare triple transportation threat.

The boat was being towed on an oversized load carrier, so it seems the driver at least had an inkling the boat would be a tight fit in small places. That didn’t stop them from heading down the Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel, a roadway that run under two runways at LAX. A decent distance down the tunnel, the big boat became firmly lodged, as KTLA reports:

“The vessel’s sheer size proved too much for the tunnel’s clearance, causing a traffic standstill,” Los Angeles Airport Police said. “Quick-thinking LAXPD officers had to close down the affected lanes, carefully maneuver the boat in reverse and eventually guide it back onto Imperial Highway.”

LAXPD added that the “unusual” incident left commuters “both bewildered and amused as they watched [the] nautical mishap unfold in an unexpected urban setting.”

The driver probably should have checked the route before heading out. If they had, they’d know that the nearly 2,000-foot-long Sepulveda Boulevard only has a clearance of 13.5 to 15 feet. Authorities said traffic came to a standstill, but most drivers eventually figured out how to get around the boat.

Image: LAXPD Facebook

LAXPD officers were able to get the boat unstuck, but it didn’t continue in the tunnel the way it was going. Police managed to get the truck hauling the boat to reverse, pushing the giant and likely wildly expensive boat back into the bright light of day. Airport police then escorted the boat back the way it came, according to a Facebook post by the department.