An oil leak on Main Street caused quite a mess on the roadway, and with traffic, which had to be rerouted late Monday and into Tuesday near Watertown Square.
An underground pipe leaked and leaking mineral oil, on Main Street between Whites Avenue and Cuba Street, was discovered around 8 p.m. on Monday, according to an announcement from the Town of Watertown. Eversource and Clean Harbors responded to the area, and traffic was diverted from Waverley Avenue to Spring Street in Watertown Square.
“This is one big mess we got going on right here,” Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn told WHDH Channel 7.
An environmental consultant working for Eversource examined the oil and found that no PCBs were present in the spilled liquid, according to the Town.
The mineral oil encases some pipes owned by Eversource that contain electrical lines, police told Fox Channel 25.
The oil bubbled up and spread across the road surface, according to Gerry Mee, superintendent of the Department of Public Works. The roadway was close because the oil made it so slick. The oil was tracked as far east as Watertown Square and as far west as Lexington Street, according to the Town’s announcement.
It may take and extended amount of time to clean up, possibly days, but one lane may be opened to allow traffic to reach businesses in the area.
Watertown Police will post updates on its social media, twitter.com/WatertownPD and www.facebook.com/WatertownPoliceDepartment.