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A major Interstate running through Louisiana was shut down on Thursday (May 12) after a chemical spill closed lanes for several hours in Jefferson Parish.
Shortly before noon, the Kenner Police Department confirmed that Interstate 10 in Kenner was closed in both directions after a chemical spill was reported in the eastbound lanes, per WWL-TV. Initial reports stated that the chemical that spilled onto the roadway was sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, but police corrected their original reports around 3:15 p.m. to reflect that it was potassium hydroxide on the roadway.
The chemical reportedly spilled from a tractor trailer on I-10 between Loyola Drive and Williams Boulevard. Traffic in both directions was halted after all lanes were shut down, with traffic being diverted onto Veterans Boulevard. Crews from the Kenner Police Department and Louisiana State Police responded to the incident, along with JPFD, KFD, DEQ, LaDOTD.
Around 2:20 p.m., Kenner Police announced an update to the HAZMAT incident, alerting drivers that all lanes in both directions of I-10 were reopened to traffic. However, they continued to urge caution that traffic congestion could be heavy and drivers should continue to avoid the area until it resolves.
As of 4:30 p.m., it is unclear what incident led to the chemical spill. No other information regarding the spill has been released.