Big rig overturns on I-580 at Altamont Pass

A big rig traveling east on Interstate 580 at Altamont Pass overturned on Thursday after the driver lost control of the vehicle, officials said.

The accident occurred on I-580 about two miles west of I-205 around Livermore just after 4 p.m., according to Caltrans.

Crews worked to clear the scene well into the evening commute, closing multiple lanes of eastbound I-580.

The driver, who pulled off of the road when his brakes may have failed, directed the truck up a nearby hillside and slowed to a stop, officials said. That’s when the big rig, which was carrying cases of empty wine bottles, overturned and dumped an estimated 41,000 pounds of shattered glass onto the freeway, authorities said.

The well-traveled thoroughfare reopened just before 8 p.m., with traffic still backed up for several miles from onlookers gaping at the overturned rig, the California Highway Patrol said.

Officials said they were planning to close the lanes again some time into the evening once crews secured the necessary equipment to remove the remaining debris.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: MBodley@sfchronicle.com