Highway 38 tanker spill cleanup to slow traffic at least a week, state says

DRAIN, Ore. – Oregon Department of Environmental Quality officials said on Thursday that cleanup efforts following an early Wednesday morning fuel tanker spill will slow Highway 38 traffic for at least a week.

The DEQ, which is leading the cleanup efforts, said that a tanker carrying gasoline and diesel crashed near milepost 45 early on the morning of June 7. The total spillage is estimated at 1,247 gallons of diesel and 771 gallons of gasoline, state DEQ officials said.

The Oregon Department of Transportation said flaggers are directing traffic 24 hours a day in one lane until cleanup and road reconstruction are completed on the westbound side of the highway. Delays up to 20 minutes for motorists are expected, state transportation officials said.

ODOT said motorists should seek alternate routes to and from the coast as road reconstruction work is expected to take at least a week to complete.

Updates on highway lane closures can be found on the Tripcheck website, while updates on the cleanup effort can be followed on the DEQ's blog, state officials said.