February 17, 2020 1:55 p.m.
A nearly thirty-mile section of Oregon 22 about seventy miles east of Salem will remain closed for several days.
Information from the Oregon Department of Transportation said the section from just west of Idanha to the junction with U.S. 20 is expected to stay closed until Friday or Saturday.
On Sunday a tanker truck carrying more than 10,000 gallons of fuel, overturned and spilled more than half of its load. An unknown amount of that fuel was released into the North Santiam River, which provides drinking water for nearby communities and for the City of Salem.
Monday morning ODOT officials were able to assess the damage and determined it will take significant time to remove the contaminated soil and repair the road, where the crash occurred. An area of roadway about 600 feet long needs to be completely excavated and rebuilt. ODOT is working at the site along with staff from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, hazmat specialists Northwest Firefighters Environmental and a construction contractor.
Motorists traveling to and from the Willamette Valley and central Oregon can use U.S. 20 or OR 126E as alternate routes.