Freeway Mired for 7 Hours in Wake of Chemical Spill

A spill of a corrosive chemical forced closure of the northbound Golden State Freeway near Pacoima for seven hours Friday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The freeway was closed at Terra Bella Street about 9:45 a.m., backing up traffic as much as five miles during the day. The lanes were reopened shortly before 5 p.m. after the chemical, a mixture of acids and sulfates used in metal etching, was cleaned up, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Alan Barrios said.

The spill resulted from a 9:15 a.m. chain-reaction accident involving four vehicles, including a flatbed truck carrying 10 drums each containing 55 gallons of the substance, authorities said. One person was slightly hurt in the crash, Barrios said.

The lanes were closed about half an hour after the crash, and traffic was routed off the freeway onto Osborne Street. The cleanup lasted longer than expected because of a light rain, CHP Officer Bob Weaver said.

Moisture from the rain had to be absorbed from the pavement because it had mixed with the spilled chemicals, he rsaid.

Traffic was tied up on the northbound Hollywood Freeway as well because it merges with the Golden State just south of the spill. Cars on the Golden State were bumper to bumper as far south as Sunland Boulevard.

Motorists on the southbound Golden State were also affected as drivers gaped across the center divider at the Los Angeles Fire Department hazardous materials crew, CHP Officer Monty Keifer said.

The rubbernecking led to at least one accident that slowed morning traffic headed south, he said.

The CHP had a SigAlert in effect for the area for most of the day and used message boards and radio traffic reports to tell drivers to avoid the area.

“It’s time to go out to dinner tonight instead of going home,” Weaver said.