Southbound Interstate 880 through downtown Oakland will remain closed all day and was not expected to reopen until at least 10 p.m. Wednesday at the earliest.
It could be midnight or later before the stretch of highway between Interstate 80 and 23rd Avenue is cleared for traffic, authorities said.
Besides scraping up the melted and messy remains of a fuel tanker that crashed and burst into flames after colliding with a passenger vehicle early Wednesday, a large chunk of superheated asphalt road must be replaced, CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt said.
Environmental personnel from the Coast Guard, state Fish and Game, and other agencies also were on the scene to try to assess any contamination that may have moved from the accident site into waterways and sensitive habitats, he said.
“A large portion of the fuel burned, but I think there was probably some that was running off,” he said.
The 6:17 a.m. crash near I-880 and 16th Avenue occurred when a passenger car occupied by three people became involved in a crash or near-miss, then crossed in front of the fuel tanker, which overturned as the driver tried unsuccessfully to avoid a collision, Van Eckhardt said.
The driver managed to get clear of the cab in the moments before the tanker, which contained about 8,600 gallons of gas and burst into flames, authorities said.
None of the four people involved was injured, the CHP said.
The incident closed down Interstate 880 in both directions, turning the morning commute into a traffic-snarled nightmare for some.
All but one northbound lane was reopened within the first two hours, but a single northbound lane and all southbound lanes remained closed, as did connector ramps between Interstate 80 and routes connecting Highways 24 and 980 with the closed portion of I-880.
Big rigs, normally prohibited, were allowed for the day on Interstate 580, the alternate route recommended for all motorists, the CHP said.
Those headed to Oakland International Airport were advised to use 98th Avenue west from I-580.
Ken Neese, a supervisor with Sonoma County Airport Inc., which sends 10 buses a day to the Oakland airport, said his drivers have back-up plans for all their routes and were using Interstates 80 and 580 to reach their destination first thing Wednesday.
The accident did tie up one bus, though it’s passengers already had disembarked, he said.
“I have one bus that’s stuck sitting down there, but he’s northbound so it doesn’t really have an effect,” Neese said. “There’s nobody on his bus.”
Neese said he’d also had calls from motorists trapped in the mess just looking for advice.
“We’re fielding a few phone calls already — some people driving their own cars wondering how to get around,” he said.
Far out, amazing everyone in the wreck are alive for sure.