On May 9th, a fully loaded tanker overturned on the ramp from northbound I-81 onto westbound Route 22/322. The tanker caught fire and caused an estimated $10 million worth of damage to the ramp, bridge, and roadway. Amazingly, no one was killed.
The truck was carrying around 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel when it flipped over. The tanker caught fire and then multiple explosions were reported after the 52-year old driver escaped with only minor injuries. Apparently the fire was so hot that it forced the water out of the concrete as steam, building up pressure and generating additional explosions. The intense heat from the fire and explosions warped the steel beams and damaged the top section so badly that there were initially fears that it could collapse on top of I-81.
That section of I-81 sees about 100,000 vehicles per day and the nearby Route 22-322 gets about 34,000.
“There really could not have been a worse spot for this to have occurred,” state Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch said.
In order to lighten the traffic burden, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is offering a free detour around the damage for vehicles that enter and exit at Harrisburg East at Exit 247 and Carlisle Exit 226. The effected section of I-81 is between mile markers 59 and 70.
There has been no official word on when repairs will be completed, but given the scale of the damage, current estimates are starting at around 2 or 3 months.
Next Story: 45,300 Trucking Jobs Added in The Past Year
Source: landline, startribune
John S says
I don’t think we realize the significance of these kinds of events. Luckily they do not happen a lot.
The roads have become so crowded that secondary roads can never handle a disruption like this.
In many ways parts of our interstate system are as out of date as anything in our infrastructure in America. We increase speeds and add 10 times more traffic and improve our roads very little. Increasing chances of accidents.
John C says
This driver should not be allowed to drive a rig ever! He must be making turn to sharp for the condition with arrogant attitude. There is no way I will turn my truck over with only 7500 lb loaded! He should just find a warehouse work for the rest of his life or be in jail.
Tim says
Uhm, that was 7500 gallons not pounds.7500 gal. Diesel is about 50,000 lbs. Them are mighty strong words from somebody who didn’t even pay attention to what he was reading .
George Dorman says
I believe it was 7500 gals. That is about the standard load for diesel and that would put him close to 80,000 lbs. But I do agree with John C. No responsible tanker driver will ever roll a truck. I take exit ramps at least 5-10 mph less than posted. That fuel wants to continue going straight even if you want to go right and if you are going to fast it will continue straight and take you with it. Be safe out there guys.
Fuel Driver says
What company was it?
I don’t know who’s fault it was but tanker jobs/company’s are not what they used to be. In the CA bay area we haven’t seen a raise in 8 years. Our higher pay was for the risk and extra lic. and responsibility. Now a friend who hauls dirt now makes the same and sometimes more than me.
This is not entirely the company’s fault. There are to many company’s out there and big oil keeps them chasing the piece of the cake. No one can raise the rates or pay without losing work.
Only way to change it is a industry wide trade union.
Only problem is drivers wont do it.
Mike says
Did he turn to avoid a four wheeler? What were the circumstances? Duh…might want to find out these things before you judge these things. Seems, Americans, while always professing their ‘patriotism’, seldom follow the foundation principals of their beloved country. Quick to judge, quick to condemn, and so out of touch with the phrase, we the people.
It is good news that nobody was hurt, burt the was a fatal accident on the detour route just days after the road closure. The backup was major.
George Dorman says
I might have also judged prematurely. A friend of mine was killed 3 wks ago while hauling diesel when a pickup lost control and came across the hwy and hit him head on, causing him to roll. But if he just took the ramp to fast they he is to blame. Fuel haulers Must be held to a higher standard these new fuel tankers can NOT withstand a rollover so we must be extremely careful of our maneuvers.
rollzone says
hello. i have never been more surprised by an exit ramp than the curving one i encountered in Oklahoma, which was probably put down in the 1930s. it may have had a 35mph speed posted- but that must have been for automobiles. i very nearly jacknifed. i submit with the hill he was exiting, and the the slope the exit ramp may be at, it was probably not banked alike an oval racetrack, and may even be almost flat- and faulty engineering may have contributed to fluid wanting to continue off towards the exiting direction. engineers have bad days too, and that’s just another reason to drive especially careful with liquid.
Robin Doiron says
It don’t matter the cause or reasons…he rolled over and in spite of the fact of the traffic snarls it’ll now create, NO ONE GOT HURT!! Could’ve been soooo much WORSE!!!
Mr. Pussy Pants says
We had something similar happen to I75 in Hazel Park, MI just north of detroit the road way had just undergone major reapirs when a 4 wheeler cut off a tanker and caused him to hit the support wall of a overpass for 9 mile road. It cost Millions to replace the bridge and repair the roadway again.
OUTLAW says
Four wheelers need to be taught to stay far away from commercial vehicles or to at least give them the right of way. Some people out there specialize in causing “accidents” because they’ve tried it with me. One shipper; an engineer, designed the cleverest trap i’ve ever encountered, all to enhance his revenue stream. Another, had a yellow line painted inside a warehouse right to the dock but about midway there was a steel pole and if I hadn’t gone inside before backing in, the trailer would have impacted the pole causing an “accident”. The stupidity i’ve observed from others would fill a book; for example, the drivers who back into a parking space and do not straighten the tractor and trailer. More than once i’ve had to bang on a door and ask a driver to straighten out his rig which is not a good testimony of his skill as a driver. This seems to be a favorite of the accident “specialists”. Then there are those who accuse truck drivers of breaking their windshields by “throwing gravel” against their vehicle or they “accidentally” brush against you and accuse you of swaying across the line. Some “accidents” are ruses to take money out of the driver’s pockets. Watch out for these A*^%@oles!