Southbound lanes of Route 28 were reopened early Wednesday morning after crews worked overnight to make repairs following a truck accident. The highway had been closed for nearly 10 hours after a tractor-trailer carrying diesel fuel hit a barrier and overturned.
The road was cleared around 3 a.m. According to Allegheny County Emergency Services Chief Matt Brown, the situation was handled well thanks to a strong local response. “Every emergency disaster starts locally and ends locally,” Brown said. “This is a great example of mutual aid at its best.”
Crews from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) quickly responded, placing a boom at the mouth of Pine Creek to prevent the spilled diesel from entering the Allegheny River. “We want to protect aquatic life and recover as much diesel as possible,” Brown added.
It remains unclear how much fuel made it into the creek. Authorities have alerted downstream drinking water facilities that may be affected. DEP officials stated that their crews would return to the area on Wednesday for further assessment.
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