correction
An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the crash happened on the northbound side of Interstate 81, and there was an incorrect photo of the incident. It happened on the southbound side. This article has been corrected.
Northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 81 in Hagerstown, Md., were reopening after a tanker truck carrying ammonium nitrate overturned. Businesses within 1,500 feet of the scene were asked to briefly evacuate the area.
By 11 a.m. Monday, the northbound side and the left lane on the southbound side of the highway had reopened. No estimate was given as to when the southbound side would fully reopen.
Jay Apperson, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment, said the truck spilled three to five gallons of ammonium nitrate and crews were on the scene to deal with the cleanup. Ammonium nitrate is a compound used in making fertilizer and can be potentially explosive if ignited, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Maryland State Police said in a Twitter message that the crash happened around 6:15 a.m. near Halfway Boulevard and that no one was hurt. State police officials said the area was evacuated because of concerns about the ammonium nitrate, but people were allowed to return by 9:30 a.m.
Traffic was being rerouted, and drivers were advised to avoid the area.
#ALERT @mdsp is at the scene of an overturned tanker truck on SB I-81 north of Halfway Blvd in Hagerstown. The tanker truck is carrying ammonium nitrate. Detours are in place, forcing NB I81 traffic to exit onto Halfway Blvd and SB I-81 traffic is being routed onto US Rt 40 W... pic.twitter.com/9PM9NVfsTw
— MD State Police (@MDSP) June 26, 2023This story will be updated.
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