Orange Spill Creates an Orange Crush

The northbound Santa Ana Freeway in Anaheim was closed for nearly two hours and traffic was backed up for an estimated 12 miles after an orange substance spilled into the slow lane of the highway near the Broadway off-ramp, authorities said.

The traffic jam began just after 11 a.m. when at least one bag of a “paint or stucco” substance at first thought to be some sort of hazardous material spilled from an unknown vehicle into the northbound lanes, said Officer Joan Rivas of the California Highway Patrol. The northbound freeway was closed immediately, and traffic was diverted to the South Street off-ramp in Anaheim, Rivas said.

Because the substance on the roadway caused an irritation to the eyes and throat, a hazardous materials team was brought in for the cleanup, Rivas said.

By 1 p.m., the CHP had reopened the fast lane of the freeway and by 2:45 p.m. all three lanes were opened, although traffic was backed up for miles and was not cleared for several hours after that, Rivas said.

“The spill came at a time, lunchtime, when everyone comes out and gets on the road,” Rivas said.