It was a long afternoon for drivers in part of Lycoming County.
A fuel spill on Interstate 180 sent traffic on a detour while the mess was cleaned up in Montoursville.
Around 11 a.m. a tractor-trailer spilled about 225 gallons of diesel fuel on I-180 westbound.
The highway was shut down in one direction and traffic backed up for miles in the Montoursville area.
The usually quiet streets of downtown Montoursville roared with the sound of big trucks and traffic usually found on the interstate.
However, both lanes of I-180 westbound were not an option on this day. Diesel fuel covered the roadway. The driver of the tractor-trailer said a mechanical problem disconnected the fuel lines. Cars and trucks sped by, making the mess bigger.
While crews cleaned the highway traffic was detoured off Interstate 180 and into Montoursville.
That's where cars and trucks moved ever so slowly down Loyalsock Avenue.
"Oh it's been horrible, waiting in traffic quite a long time," said Linda Leach of Shamokin.
"Half hour to 45 minutes. Seems like a long time," said Jim Fenstermacher of Muncy.
"Heading home from work. I'm supposed to be painting a bedroom and it's been very slow," said Krista Aungst of South Williamsport.
For her and her passenger it was an unexpected and somewhat frustrating detour through Montoursville. It usually takes Aungst just minutes to travel through the area.
"A lot of it was more stop than go. An hour from the Fairfield exit to here," Aungst said.
Even though bumper-to-bumper traffic was heading in one direction it stretched for miles out of Montoursville and back to the highway.
All the congestion made for an unusual day for downtown businesses.
"It hinders the traffic coming in and out of the parking lot. A lot of people don't want to pull in and get stuck, not get out on time and get to work," said Bill Manciocchi of the Original Pizza.
Interstate 180 westbound reopened around 2:30 p.m. between the Fairfield exit and the Warrensville Road/Third Street exit.
Officials with the department of environmental protection said some of the soil in the area of that spill was contaminated and removed.
A fuel spill on Interstate 180 sent traffic on a detour while the mess was cleaned up in Montoursville.
Around 11 a.m. a tractor-trailer spilled about 225 gallons of diesel fuel on I-180 westbound.
The highway was shut down in one direction and traffic backed up for miles in the Montoursville area.
The usually quiet streets of downtown Montoursville roared with the sound of big trucks and traffic usually found on the interstate.
However, both lanes of I-180 westbound were not an option on this day. Diesel fuel covered the roadway. The driver of the tractor-trailer said a mechanical problem disconnected the fuel lines. Cars and trucks sped by, making the mess bigger.
While crews cleaned the highway traffic was detoured off Interstate 180 and into Montoursville.
That's where cars and trucks moved ever so slowly down Loyalsock Avenue.
"Oh it's been horrible, waiting in traffic quite a long time," said Linda Leach of Shamokin.
"Half hour to 45 minutes. Seems like a long time," said Jim Fenstermacher of Muncy.
"Heading home from work. I'm supposed to be painting a bedroom and it's been very slow," said Krista Aungst of South Williamsport.
For her and her passenger it was an unexpected and somewhat frustrating detour through Montoursville. It usually takes Aungst just minutes to travel through the area.
"A lot of it was more stop than go. An hour from the Fairfield exit to here," Aungst said.
Even though bumper-to-bumper traffic was heading in one direction it stretched for miles out of Montoursville and back to the highway.
All the congestion made for an unusual day for downtown businesses.
"It hinders the traffic coming in and out of the parking lot. A lot of people don't want to pull in and get stuck, not get out on time and get to work," said Bill Manciocchi of the Original Pizza.
Interstate 180 westbound reopened around 2:30 p.m. between the Fairfield exit and the Warrensville Road/Third Street exit.
Officials with the department of environmental protection said some of the soil in the area of that spill was contaminated and removed.
