July 06, 2009 12:25 pm
—
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.
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