All lanes of Interstate 8 in Jacumba were finally reopened Thursday evening after more than 14 hours of closures due to a semi-truck crash that left olive oil spilled all over the highway.
The crash occurred about 2:45 a.m., less than one mile east of the Carrizo Gorge Road exit.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), one of the semi-truck trailers overturned.
The CHP said one of the semi-trucks was transporting olive oil, and some of that olive oil spilled onto the highway.
Some diesel also spilled on the highway, but the CHP said it is not a hazmat.
A SigAlert was issued around 6 a.m. as crews blocked one westbound lane to tend to the spill. At 12:30 p.m. — almost 10 hours after the initial crash — the highway was still closed, according to CHP.
At about 1 p.m., CHP shut down the entire roadway for cleaning crews. It took four more hours of work before all lanes could be reopened.
Local
During the closure, traffic was being diverted to Old Highway 80.
CHP was reopening the freeway just before 5:30 p.m.
