N3

Photo: Twitter

N3 slip up: Highway closed after truck carrying cooking oil caused five-kilometre spill

The N3 near Montrose, Free State is closed in both directions after a truck hit a barrier, overturned and spilled the cooking oil it was transporting

N3

Photo: Twitter

The N3 Toll Concession announced that the national highway is closed near Montrose in the Free State after a truck carrying cooking oil overturned earlier on Friday, 3 September. The road remains closed in both directions, heading towards Johannesburg or Durban, as of 13:30.

N3 CLOSED BECAUSE OF OIL SPILL

The N3 Toll Concession said the truck transporting cooking oil hit a road barrier and overturned. The single-vehicle crash caused the oil carrying “bladder” of the truck to rip. The leaked oil spread quickly and the spill reportedly stretches over a distance of five kilometres “in each direction.”

“Road Closrure – N3 between Free State and KZN. Motorists are hereby informed that N3 is closed due to a truck transporting oil which have overturned just between van Reenen and Montrose,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS), confirming the accident and road closure.

The N3 Toll Concession said it does not have an estimated time frame by when the spill would be cleared up and the road reopened. However, it is all hands on deck at the scene and all emergency services are at hand to reopen the road as quickly as possible.

Heavy motor vehicles are stacked at the scene while lighter vehicles are being diverted to the Harrismith exit 29 if they are heading southbound towards Durban or Bergville exit 230 if they are heading northbound towards Gauteng.

All roads users are advised to avoid the area or delay their trips until the spill is cleaned up.

This is a developing story.      

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