CHICAGO (CBS) — A diesel spill near the Jane Byrne Interchange caused a major backup on the Eisenhower Expressway during the afternoon rush hour Wednesday.
A truck crashed into inbound Eisenhower (I-290) near Halsted Street and the University of Illinois at Chicago earlier this afternoon. The wreckage from the crash was removed, but spilled diesel fuel remained on the highway hours later.
The on-ramp from the inbound Eisenhower to the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway closed at 2:30 PM due to the crash and spill and remained closed at 5:00 PM.
Crews waited on sand to catch the spilled diesel. It was not clear why it took so long for the sand to arrive on site.
The Eisenhower inbound was a parking lot beginning at Central Avenue, six miles west of the accident scene.
Meanwhile, motorists on the ramp from Eisenhower to Dan Ryan were unable to get on or off and some truck drivers were stuck for more than two and a half hours.
A major alternate route, Roosevelt Road, was closed after the crash. Drivers were advised to use Madison Street to get to the Kennedy Expressway and follow it through the interchange to the outbound Dan Ryan.
