BILLERICA, MASS. (WHDH) - Cleanup efforts continued as traffic started moving again on Route 3 in Billerica Thursday after a crash involving multiple vehicles Wednesday morning prompted officials to close the highway.
The crash happened around 10 a.m. on the northbound side of the highway. Among the vehicles involved was a tanker truck that was carrying thousands of gallons of fuel.
All lanes of traffic in both directions were closed after the crash, with police redirecting northbound traffic at Exit 76 and southbound traffic at Exit 79.
In an update Thursday morning, the state Department of Transportation said all lanes had reopened.
Dashcam video shared with 7NEWS showed what appeared to be a pickup truck attempt to switch lanes on Route 3 before striking a passing SUV, then spinning out and crashing into the tanker truck Wednesday. The tanker then ended up on its side, swinging around on the roadway before coming to a complete stop.
State police later confirmed the driver of the tanker that crashed as well as the driver of another vehicle involved in the crash both suffered minor injuries. The wife of the man driving the Tesla told 7NEWS her husband was OK.
Special foam-spraying equipment was brought in to cover the fuel that had spilled onto the pavement and empty tanker trucks were brought in to offload the thousands of gallons of fuel that were still in the tipped-over vehicle.
While lanes reopened Thursday morning, the Department of Transportation said the left lane of Route 3 southbound near the crash site closed later in the day to make way for environmental cleanup. After reopening for five hours during the evening commute, the lane was scheduled to close again Thursday night into Friday morning from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“Expect delays,” the Department of Transportation said.
State police in a separate update Thursday said investigators had reviewed video of the crash. The video, police said, “indicates that the driver of the tanker bears no responsibility for causing the crash.”
Police said the investigation into whether any of the other drivers involved in the crash should be charged or cited was ongoing.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)