A mile-long fuel spill closed two eastbound I-44 lanes during rush hour on Monday, July 24. A tractor-trailer rapidly lost fuel after hitting an object in the roadway, according to Scott Barthelmass, assistant chief at Eureka Fire Protection District.
The accident occurred at about 5 p.m. on Monday. Barthelmass said Eureka Fire Protection District, St. Louis County Police and Missouri Department of Transportation responded to the spill.
“(The fuel spill) had spread for about a mile, with the vast majority of the fuel being lost on I-44 and Lewis Road,” Barthelmass said. “A total of about 100 gallons of fuel.”
The accident took about two hours for first responders to clean up, Barthelmass said.
“We plugged the hole that was in the tank to prevent further spillage and diked the road,” he said.
MoDOT used oil dry absorbent to soak up the fuel. St. Louis County Police directed traffic.