Were you stuck in this on your way home last night? A toxic spill on I-95 at the Metuchen exit caused quite a backup on the turnpike.
From the Star-Ledger: "A rolled over tanker truck spilled 2,000 gallons of toxic methyl alcohol and shut down the ramp connecting the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 287 and other nearby roads this evening, authorities said. The tanker truck rolled over around 4 p.m. near Exit 10 on the Turnpike in Edison . . . Authorities shut down both directions of Route 287 in the area, as well as nearby sections of Route 440 and Route 514. The truck was carrying a total of 4,500 gallons of the substance.
"It's going to take a long time to clean up because methyl alcohol is toxic," said Jones. "The vapors are toxic, and it's a fire hazard. So they're going to have to offload this tanker into another tanker with extreme caution." Darlene Yuhas, a spokeswoman with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said she did not anticipate evacuations of any kind. "This is not a residential area," Yuhas said. You could have fooled us about that!
Aw, a great missed opportunity for a creative headline - a la "toxic sauce" spill ties up Spaghetti Junction
Many thanks to the Metuchen Fire Department, who were on call all last night to provide coverage for Edison.