The acid spill has closed the N1 between Touwsrivier and De Doorns – Photo: Supplied
The acid spill has closed the N1 between Touwsrivier and De Doorns – Photo: Supplied
A stretch of the N1 along the Hex River Pass has been closed off ‘indefinitely’ on Friday, after a truck carrying a shipment of nitric acid spilt its load across the carriageway. Clean-up operations have been ongoing since the early hours of 18 November.
How long is the N1 closed for – and where is the spillage?
The chemical spill is causing a significant issue for traffic in the region. The N1 serves as the long-winding major highway between Cape Town and Johannesburg. As a substance, nitric acid is highly corrosive, and poses a serious threat to health.
Teams in hazmat suits are currently at the scene, accompanied by the Cape Winelands District Fire Services. According to local officials, ‘good progress is being made’ to restore the road to an acceptable condition. Thankfully, no casualties have been reported from this incident.
Acid spill shuts down one of SA’s busiest highways
In a statement issued by the CWDM, they confirmed that the N1 is still closed ‘until further notice’. A new update is expected at 12:30 today. Until then, salvage teams will be working tirelessly to get traffic flowing through the route once more.
“The Fire Services of the Cape Winelands District (CWDM) and Breede Valley (BVM) Municipalities can confirm that good progress was made by crews during the night in containing the Nitric Acid spill caused by an overturned tanker. No loss of life or injuries were reported.”
“The N1 between Touwsriver and De Doorns will remain closed until further notice. Teams will continue with clean-up operations, which are likely to take most of the day. The gas is currently being pumped from the overturned tanker into a fresh tanker to be removed from the scene.” | CWDM
