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Route 28 Inbound Reopens After Lengthy Closure Due To Tractor-Trailer Crash

MILLVALE (KDKA) – A crash on the inbound side of Route 28 brought traffic to a halt for much of the day Tuesday, but the road is now reopened.

According to officials at the scene, the multi-vehicle crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. and involved a tractor-trailer and two SUVs.

Both inbound lanes fully reopened to traffic just after 4:30 p.m.

But until then, traffic was being detoured at the Millvale exit.

An environmental cleanup company was called to the scene because the tractor-trailer leaked oil and gas onto the roadway.

One PennDOT worker described the road as being "slick as ice," and opening even one lane until it was cleaned up was not an option.

"Pretty big area, at least a thousand, maybe a little bit better than a thousand feet, both lanes," said PennDOT Highway Maintenance Manager Carmen Angotti.

Motorists were being encouraged to find alternate routes during the lengthy closure. It caused major delays for some drivers, including the specialty hazardous materials clean-up crew.

Once they got on scene, it was not an easy fix.

"You have to wait for it to absorb, and then they clean it up with a broom and contain it," Angotti said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. However, a blown tire on the tractor-trailer may have caused the driver to lose control.

Fortunately, no one is believed to have suffered any major injuries.

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