NEWBURYPORT -- Emergency officials have reopened the soutbound lanes of Interstate 95 and two lanes on the northbound side of I-95 north after spending the entire day cleaning up a massive fuel spill.
However, the reopening had yet to alleviate traffic problems around Newburyport. As of 5 p.m., Route 1 north was at a standstill from Low Street in Newburyport to Salisbury Square.
At 9:17 a.m., a tanker loaded with 10,000 gallons of gasoline rolled over in an attempt to avoid an oncoming car on Interstate 95. An estimated 8,000 gallons of fuel were spilled, effecting the nearby neighborhood as well as the Merrimack River.
The accident forced officials to close the entire highway in both directions for hours, backing up traffic heading north on I-95 an estimated nine miles into New Hampshire.
The accident occurred about a quarter mile north of the Route 113 exit in Newburyport in the northbound lanes, but due to a related rollover on the south side and precautions due to the fuel spill, traffic was severely affected in both directions.
The tanker has been uprighted and moved off the road, but a number of emergency vehicles still have to close the scene. According to the state executive office of transportation, about 20 feet of roadway on the northbound lanes was damaged by the accident and will need to be repaired, forcing two lanes to remain blocked off into this evening.
The Coast Guard and environmental officials continue to deal with gasoline that reached storm drains that feed into the Merrimack River. Boat traffic on the Merrimack near the Whittier Bridge is being routed around the spill.
State Police said there were nine people injured in the accident, which involved three cars and the tanker. Police believe the accident may have been caused by two SUVs traveling south. When the two cars collided, one rolled over while the other veered into the northbound lanes, causing the tanker to lock its brakes and fall on its side, spilling the fuel.