Oil tanker splits open, shutting down I-15 for 3 1/2 hours

June 05:

A tanker hauling crude oil split down the middle, spilling part of its load and shutting down northbound I-15 at 600 North on Friday, June 5, 2015.

Ramces Fernandez

SALT LAKE CITY — A tanker hauling crude oil on I-15 split down the middle Friday, spilling oil and shutting down all lanes for hours.

Police were called to northbound I-15 just before 11:30 a.m. Friday when the tank split just before the 600 North off-ramp, said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Jared Cornia.

The commercial truck wasn't involved in any kind of crash.

"It was a failure of the tank itself," Cornia said. "Whenever there is anything involved with a commercial vehicle like that, (Utah Truck Inspection Program) comes out and does an inspection. … They're going to look into that and figure it out."

Smoke and some flames were coming from the tanker as fire crews arrived. Firefighters sprayed foam on the truck to keep it from further igniting.

All northbound lanes were closed, diverting drivers at 400 South, Cornia said. The section of freeway reopened about 3 p.m.

The tanker's load — crude oil —½ posed both an environmental and safety concern, Cornia said. Because the crude oil is thick, less of it managed to leak onto the freeway. The oil was cleaned from the freeway before it was reopened.

The driver of the truck was unharmed and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.

Source: www.deseretnews.com/article/865630149/Oil-tanker-splits-open-on-I-15-shuts-down-northbound-lanes-out-of-Salt-Lake-City.html