A crash involving three tractor-trailers and a passenger vehicle closed an 8-mile stretch of the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike for about three hours Tuesday morning causing "major delays" and leaving at least two people hurt.
The wreck around 5:45 a.m. blocked all lanes near milepost 351 between the Bensalem and Willow Grove interchanges, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said.
The crash left two people with undisclosed injuries, police said. It was unclear what vehicles those people were in.
The wreck caused more than 100 gallons of diesel fuel to spill down an embankment, Pennsylvania State Police said. As hazmat crews cleaned up the spill, police implemented "Plan X," which calls for the complete shutdown of lanes.
Around 7:15 a.m., police allowed traffic stuck behind the wreck to slowly get by but the roadway remained closed at the Bensalem Interchange.
Finally, around 8:45 a.m., two lanes reopened but the westbound ramp at Bensalem remained closed, the turnpike said while warning of continued "major delays."
All lanes finally reopened around 9:30 a.m., the turnpike said.
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The best bet was to avoid the roadway as the turnpike commission urged motorists to find alternate routes. Detoured rivers could take U.S. Route 1 south to State Route 132 west to State Route 611 south to the Willow Grove Interchange. Expect traffic slowdowns along that route.
