Chemical Spill Closes Interstate 80 Lanes
A hazardous materials spill forced the closure Sunday of the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 west of here, authorities reported.
A California Highway Patrol dispatcher said solvent, battery acid and diesel fuel spilled on the highway after a truck rig overturned about 9:30 a.m. near Cisco Grove, 78 miles east of Sacramento.
He said the van was “completely ripped open” and numerous boxes containing the solvent were on the side of the highway. No injuries were reported.
A hazardous materials team was sent to the scene to remove the materials, but a dispatcher said the westbound lanes between Big Bend and Rainbow were expected to remain closed until after midnight.
The closure created major traffic delays for westbound motorists and the CHP recommended U.S. 50 or California 70 as alternate routes across the Sierra Nevada.
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