Southbound lanes of Interstate 85 re-open at Little Rock Road exit after spill

All but one southbound lane of Interstate 85 near the Little Rock Road exit re-opened by 6 a.m. after N.C Department of Transportation and other crews cleaned up a hazardous material spill.

On Monday evening, a truck hauling 1,000 gallons of asphalt sealant on a trailer spilled its cargo during a crash involving three vehicles.

Various emergency response teams including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, Charlotte Fire Department and North Carolina Incident Management Assistance Patrol responded to the incident to assist with various duties including cleanup and traffic control.

Motorists were directed to a detour that guided them off I-85 at Exit 32, then onto the I-485 Inner Loop, and then back to I-85 South.

The far left lane opened Tuesday at 3:34 a.m. after cleanup crews, including and independent contractor, used sand and other absorbent material to soak up the sealant which is considered highly flammable. All but one lane re-opened in time for the daily morning commute.

For real-time travel information, visit the Traveler Services section of NCDOT.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

This story was originally published September 20, 2016 at 6:39 AM with the headline "Southbound lanes of Interstate 85 re-open at Little Rock Road exit after spill."