Part of SH2 in Carterton was closed for more than two hours on Wednesday night after a tractor’s hydraulic hose blew out and dumped about 50 litres of oil on the road near the Brooklyn Rd intersection.
Northbound motorists were detoured via Dalefield Rd and up Lincoln Rd, or by Moreton Rd and Rutland Rd, while southbound travellers were diverted via Richmond Rd to Rutland Rd and then back down Moreton Rd.
A fire brigade from Carterton attended the scene just after 7.30pm, with crew members working to contain the scene, direct traffic, and prevent any oil from seeping into nearby drains.
Carterton Chief Fire Officer Bryan Styles confirmed that his crew attended the scene while waiting for NZTA Waka Kotahi contractors to come clear the road and left about 10pm once Fulton Hogan had arrived and laid down absorbent materials.
“You can’t wash it away because of the amount of it,” Styles said, so the contractors were forced to leave the absorbents at the site overnight.
He noted that contractors were clearing some of it away at about 7am on Thursday morning.
Before work to clean the road could begin, the tractor had its hose fixed so that it could be shifted out of the way.
An NZTA spokesperson confirmed the incident was reported to the transport agency just after 7.30pm and local road detours were put in place while the scene was cleared.
“It was a transmission oil spill at SH2 Carterton, near the intersection of Brooklyn Road,” the spokesperson said.
To clear the oil spill, sand and chip rock were placed on the spill to absorb the oil before further clean-up work was completed in the morning.
“A 30kmh temporary speed restriction is currently in place at the spill site.”
As of late afternoon on Thursday, speed restrictions were still in place.
