The eastbound side of Interstate 84 East through rush hour on Monday after a tractor-trailer carrying hazardous materials went off the highway in Tolland just before 7 p.m. Sunday and landed on its side.
The left and center lane are now open while the right and right shoulder remain close. Police asked that drivers reduce their speed near exit 67 and 68.
Officials said Monday that the truck was from Cima Transportation in Dallas Texas. It picked up chemicals in a couple locations and was transporting them to the Wilmington, Massachusetts site of Hubbard-Hall, a chemical supply company.
The truck was carrying around 900 containers of various chemicals and state police said Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and hazmat crews will be removing hazmat containers over. Crews are collecting any spilled materials and moving containers onto another vehicle.
Emergency crews shut down both sides of the highway Sunday night and forced evacuations of nearby homes.
As of Monday morning, the westbound side of the highway is open and Tolland Alert reports that EPA contractors are deploying air quality monitors in the area as a precaution. They said there is no threat to the public.
The location of the vehicle, 25 feet or so off the road, and the snow have created challenges for emergency crews and they brought in an excavator with a log reach.
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The accident happened near exit 68 Sunday, but state police said they had to shut the highway down by exit 67.
Hazmat teams from UConn and the Capital Region Hazmat Team also responded to the crash, according to Tyler Millix, the director of Tolland County 911.
Some homes along Metcalf Road in Tolland were evacuated, according to state police. Residents there were notified and assisted by first responders, state police said. Emergency officials opened the Tolland Training Center for affected residents.
There are no injures, state police said. The cause of the crash is under investigation. A source said the road was wet when the crash happened, but appeared to be cleared of snow.
The driver, a 50-year-old Texas man, was cited for driving too fast for the conditions.
On Monday morning, Route 195 is backing up because of the detour.
