Thursday, 4:30 PM
I-495 reopens in Littleton after dye spill colors road reddish orange
(Mark Wilson/Globe Staff)
Northbound Interstate 495 looked like a giant red ribbon today after a truck spilled several containers of dye on the roadway.
By Globe Staff
All lanes of Interstate 495 reopened in Littleton this morning after a truck spilled liquid dye overnight that closed the road when it colored a 1,500-foot stretch of the highway reddish orange, State Police reported.
Delays on the interstate continued, however, as drivers slowed to look at the unusual color of the roadway.
The road closed Tuesday night at about 10:15 when a truck heading north spilled several containers of the dye that covered the interstate and several vehicles. Police identified the driver of the 2005 Kenworth tractor-trailer as James Simonds, 39, of Springfield, Vt.
No injuries were reported. The spill remains under investigation.
Police said that the dye can be washed off any vehicles that traveled through the spill with presoaking and a routine carwash. Mass Highway is working to remove the dye from the roadway with sanders and other equipment.
