June 8, 2023 1:50 p.m. (updated at 4:10 p.m.)

The ongoing cleanup of a fuel tanker spill along Highway 38, about six miles west of Drain, will slow traffic for a week.

An update from the Oregon Department of Transportation said people traveling to and from the coast are advised to use alternate routes, especially over the weekend.

ODOT Public Information Officer Julie Denney said a tanker carrying gasoline and diesel crashed near milepost 45, shortly after 6:00 a.m. Wednesday. Denney said the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is leading the cleanup and estimates that 1,247 gallons of diesel and 771 gallons of gasoline spilled in the crash.

An Oregon State Police report said the tanker truck/trailer combination was westbound when it went off the right side of the roadway. The truck’s cab impacted the ditch causing the vehicle to overturn. It ended up facing in a southerly direction. OSP said the accident happened when the driver attempted to avoid an animal that was in the road.

Flaggers are directing traffic 24 hours a day in one lane until cleanup and road reconstruction are completed on the westside of the highway. Denney said it will take at least a week to remove and rebuild the affected roadway surface and adjacent ditch. Motorists can expect delays of up to twenty minutes.

Denney said Western Hyway Oil, the transportation arm of Portland-based WSCO Petroleum, owns and operates the tanker. That company has hired a contractor to clean up the spill under the advisement of DEQ.

For updates on the cleanup, visit the DEQ Blog at: https://deqblog.com/2023/06/08/tanker-spill-cleanup-along-highway-38-slowing-traffic-near-drain/

Get the latest information on the highway lane closures at www.tripcheck.com