An investigation’s underway into the source of the oil spillage on the N 18 which caused traffic chaos for thousands of motorists on Friday and Saturday.
It’s reported the final clean up bill for the spill which resulted in the closure of a section of the Limerick to Ennis road could run into tens of thousands of euro.
The alarm was raised at around 2 o’clock last Friday following a number of road collisions on the north bound lane of the N 18 between Setright’s Cross and Bunratty – where the spillage-had occurred.
Several units of the fire brigade and Clare County Council initially tried to clean the greasy surface using chemicals but without success and Gardaí were forced to close a 10 km stretch of the road from Cratloe to Sixmilebridge.
This resulted in huge tailbacks – with traffic backed up as far as the Two Mile Inn on the Ennis Road and to the Limerick Tunnel on the N 18- resulting in its eventual closure.
After laying down the chemicals on the spillage – believed to be hydraulic fluid from a bus- the council then had to spread grit but by midnight on Friday only one lane had reopened.
The clean up then continued on Saturday and the road reopened after lunchtime – Its estimated the final bill could be tens of thousands of euro and an investigation to identify the source of the spillage is taking place.
