UPDATE, 3 p.m.: West Virginia Turnpike closed due to tractor trailer accident; follow advised detour routes

Hazardous waste cleanup crews are on the scene of a tractor-trailer wreck that closed the West Virginia Turnpike in both directions early this morning just north of Pax.

Crews from Clean Harbors industrial cleanup company in Nitro arrived at the crash site at noon. The accident happened in the northbound lane on the Skitter Creek Bridge just after midnight when the driver lost control, jackknifed, and crossed the barrier wall. The crash blocked both northbound and southbound lanes.

For Drone Footage and other Images of the Scene, Click Here

Traffic heading north will follow Turnpike Detour A and detour at the North Beckley Exit 48 (US 19), proceed past Summersville to Interstate 79 Exit 57, then south to Charleston.

Southbound traffic will also follow Turnpike Detour A. From Charleston, traffic should follow Interstate 79 north from Charleston to Exit 57, then proceed south on US 19 to North Beckley, Exit 48.

The West Virginia Division of Highways is urging commercial truck drivers to follow the specified detour routes and not to attempt to skirt the Turnpike closure by using backroads or alternate routes. WV 61 near Deepwater Mountain is currently closed due to a tractor-trailer that got stuck while attempting to get around the Turnpike closure.

The DEP emergency response team, Pax Fire Department, West Virginia State Police, and West Virginia Parkways Authority crews contained the chemical spill early this morning.

Additional updates will be provided throughout the day.

UPDATE, 3 p.m.: West Virginia Turnpike closed due to tractor trailer accident; follow advised detour routes

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