Highway 17 was shut down in both directions Thursday evening for an emergency tree removal, according to Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol.
The closure, at Hebard Road in Los Gatos, was reported at 5:20 p.m. and was expected to last until about 6 p.m.
A Caltrans crew of about 15-20 workers cleared the tree in about 25 minutes.
Traffic in the southbound direction was backed up about 3 miles before the highway was reopened.
