A heavily-traveled stretch of road in Wayne County was shut down for hours Tuesday after an unknown substance was discovered on the road.
According to PennDOT Route 6 east of Waymart is open again. It was closed down around 1 p.m. when a black substance leaked onto the highway.
While workers figured out how to get rid of it, drivers had to figure out how to get around it.
Emergency crews detoured traffic through Waymart on Route 296 after two- and-a-half miles of Route 6 westbound were shut down between Waymart and Prompton in Wayne County. It meant a big inconvenience for drivers, especially registered nurse Pat Marx who visits hospice patients in their homes in Wayne and Lackawanna counties every day.
"I tried to get to the Carbondale Highway on Route 6 but it's closed completely so I had to go like 10 miles out of my way," Marx said.
Officials believe the black liquid is a petroleum-based substance that is not harmful to drivers or people who live nearby. Still, emergency workers said the clean-up job is a tough one.
"I would say a couple hours. We're waiting on DEP to see what they have to say," said Waymart Fire Chief Tom Derrick.
Drivers trying to get to Honesdale had to turn around and take a detour using smaller roads.
As for Pat Marx, she still had three more patients left to see before the day was over and covered more miles than usual to get to them all.
"I absolutely must see them. Some are dying so it's a real inconvenience," Marx added/
There is no word exactly what the substance is.
State police are still looking for the truck that leaked the liquid.
According to PennDOT Route 6 east of Waymart is open again. It was closed down around 1 p.m. when a black substance leaked onto the highway.
While workers figured out how to get rid of it, drivers had to figure out how to get around it.
Emergency crews detoured traffic through Waymart on Route 296 after two- and-a-half miles of Route 6 westbound were shut down between Waymart and Prompton in Wayne County. It meant a big inconvenience for drivers, especially registered nurse Pat Marx who visits hospice patients in their homes in Wayne and Lackawanna counties every day.
"I tried to get to the Carbondale Highway on Route 6 but it's closed completely so I had to go like 10 miles out of my way," Marx said.
Officials believe the black liquid is a petroleum-based substance that is not harmful to drivers or people who live nearby. Still, emergency workers said the clean-up job is a tough one.
"I would say a couple hours. We're waiting on DEP to see what they have to say," said Waymart Fire Chief Tom Derrick.
Drivers trying to get to Honesdale had to turn around and take a detour using smaller roads.
As for Pat Marx, she still had three more patients left to see before the day was over and covered more miles than usual to get to them all.
"I absolutely must see them. Some are dying so it's a real inconvenience," Marx added/
There is no word exactly what the substance is.
State police are still looking for the truck that leaked the liquid.
