THORNTON, Colo. — 84th Ave. between Grant Street and Conifer Road over Interstate 25 closed after a semitrailer leaked 50-75 gallons of hydrochloric acid on the bridge early Monday morning.
Drivers can still exit southbound I-25 at 84th Ave., but they must travel west. Northbound I-25 drivers have to exit and go east as the 84th Ave. bridge closed for several hours, Thornton Deputy Fire Chief Ernie Anderson said in an early morning news conference.
Around 2 a.m. Monday, the Thornton Fire Department got a report of a FedEx delivery truck who was carrying six totes of hydrochloric acid in the box trailer. The driver left a shipping warehouse in Denver en route to Rocky Springs, Wyoming, when he noticed a small leak coming from inside one of the box trailers.
Anderson said the driver was proactive, pulling the trailer over to the side of the road. The Thornton Fire Department did not know why the trailer was leaking, but said the investigation is ongoing and an environmental cleanup company is assisting with the process.
Those cleaning up the leak had to neutralize the hydrochloric acid and then transfer it from the damaged, leaking container to a new one.
Crews told Denver7's Lauren Lennon they plan to do a soil cleanup on the side of the road. They will have to apply for a permit with the state to do that, though. They can begin work once the permit is approved.
Hydrochloric acid consists of hydrogen chloride, which is non-flammable gas, but it's corrosive to metals and tissues. It can also be irritating to the eyes and respiratory system, according to the National Library of Medicine.
84th Ave. re-opened around 8 a.m. Monday. However Thornton police have not yet said if the southbound on-ramp from 84th Ave. to I-25 is available to travelers again.
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