Heavy A11 traffic road after closure to clean up diesel spillage

A lorry driver was taken to hospital after his vehicle overturned and caught fire on a major Cambridgeshire road today (Tuesday, April 11). The A11 northbound was closed between Abington and Balsham. The crash was first reported at around 9.56am.

Smoke was reported to be drifting across the road and traffic was queueing as a result. National Highways reported a “significant spillage of diesel, hydraulic fluid and oil” across the A11. A spokesperson said: “Due to the nature of the spillages it requires specialist contractors to safely clear the fluid from the carriageway with no times for reopening at this stage.”

A Cambridgeshire Police[1] spokesperson added: “We were called at about 9.30am today (April 11) with reports of an overturned lorry on the A11 at Balsham. Emergency services attended and the driver of the lorry was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Details of injuries are not clear at this stage but are not thought to be life-threatening.

“The road remains closed while recovery of the lorry takes place. No other vehicles were involved.” Inrix, the traffic[3] data company, said: “A11 Northbound closed, queueing traffic due to an overturned lorry on fire and smoke blowing across the road from A1307 Cambridge Road (Four Went Ways, Abington) to Balsham Road (Balsham).”

The road was fully reopened with traffic cleared shortly before 8pm.

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References

1. ^ Cambridgeshire Police (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
2. ^ Two months of road closures set to begin on Cambridge road (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
3. ^ traffic (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)