Portion of Northwest Highway Remains Closed as Chemical Spill Clean Up Continues

BARRINGTON, IL - A road in Crystal Lake and a section of Northwest Highway in Barrington are closed Thursday morning as cleanup continues on a chemical spill.

The chemical spill occurred after a semi tractor-trailer collided with a pickup truck at Route 14 and Hart Road in Barrington at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. The tractor-trailer burst into flames and 3,000 gallons of a substance originally thought to be vegetable oil spilled on the roadway, according to a news release from the village of Barrington.

On Wednesday, officials received a call from the shipping company and learned the substance was in fact a compound called Methylene diphenl diisocycanate, which is used in production of polyurethane, according to a news release. The substance can be an allergen and an irritant and the area has been isolated and spilled product is being removed by specialty technicians.

Because of this, the westbound lanes of Route 14 will be closed throughout the day on Thursday. Traffic is being re-routed northbound on Hart Road to Cuba Road.

In addition, Eastgate Road between Factory and Commercial roads was closed on Thursday since the truck that leaked the chemical was towed to Whitey’s Towing, 710 Eastgate Road, the Daily Herald reports.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Duty Officer George Krebs said Thursday morning there was “no risk to the water supply or to the public at this time. There is no immediate risk, no warnings, and no advisories.”

The 35-year-old driver in the pickup truck and a 49-year-old passenger in the truck were taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital and later released while the semitrailer driver was treated at the scene of the crash, according to the Daily Herald. He was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

Photo caption: Northwest Highway in Barrington/Photo credit: GoogleMaps