A traffic accident involving a diesel spill caused major traffic delays throughout morning rush hour Monday for motorists heading in and out of Gainesville on Ga. 60/Thompson Bridge Road.
First responders from the city of Gainesville Fire Department found a heavy duty cooking oil recycling truck crashed onto on a barrier on the northbound side of Thompson Bridge Road at the bridge, according to Division Chief Keith Smith.
He said those first crews reported the front axle and fuel tank ripped off of the truck. First notification of the incident to the WDUN Traffic Center came around 5:00 a.m.
"There was a diesel spill of around 75 gallons from the fuel tanks on the truck," Smith said. "DOT and EPD were notified due to the possibility that diesel may have reached the lake but because it was dark, they were not able to tell for sure.
Smith said fire department personnel applied oil dry to the diesel and turned the accident scene over to the Gainesville Police Department and Georgia Department of Transportation.
Just before 8:00 a.m., crews had opened the outside northbound lane of Thompson Bridge, but DOT workers remained on the scene for cleanup efforts.
Traffic delays also impacted southbound motorists throughout the morning commute.
Crews were able to open the northbound inside lane of Ga. 60/Thompson Bridge Road just before 8 a.m. on Monday, November 6. A truck crashed into a railing at the bridge before 5 a.m., leaking an estimated 75 gallons of diesel fuel.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/11/602211/cleanup-of-thompson-bridge-road-truck-accident-lasts-through-morning-rush