A ruptured jet fuel line has closed down Route 83 and part of the Calumet Sag Channel for a couple days while crews clean up the mess.
The petroleum pipeline burst Monday around 2:40 a.m. and spilled 42,000 gallons of jet fuel, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report. It could take crews until Wednesday or Thursday to clean everything up, the report said.
In the meantime, Route 83 from La Grange Road to Southwest Highway and a seven-mile stretch of the Cal-Sag, south from Harlem Avenue, will remain closed to all traffic.
About 10,000 to 14,500 vehicles drive on Route 83 every day, the report said.
Palos Park Police are diverting traffic to 119th Street from La Grange Road to Southwest Highway until the clean up is finished. If the detour is too congested, West 123rd Street may also be used as an alternate route.
Dozens of barges that rely on the canal are at a standstill, as there are no alternative routes for boaters, said the report.
The ruptured pipeline, owned by West Shore Pipeline and operated by Buckeye Partners, is one of several which siphon jet feul to O'Hare Airport and Mitchell Field in Milwaukee underground.
See the Sun-Times for the full report.
