A diesel spill has led to the indefinite closure of a bridge in Chatham Township.
Municipal officials say all lanes are closed on the Kent Bridge at the Thames River, located on Kent Bridge Road, after an incident on Thursday evening.
“A transport truck travelling over the Kent Bridge had a drive shaft failure, and punctured the fuel tank spilling several hundred litres of diesel fuel last evening,” stated Mark Ceppi, engineering technologist, in a press release.
“The spill was over the north bound lane and also continued onto Longwoods Road approximately 50m east of Kent Bridge.”
Ceppi said preliminary inspections determined the need to remove the damaged asphalt and further inspect the bridge deck.
“Asphalt removals are planned for early next week with updates to follow regarding the condition of the bridge deck,” he said.
“The bridge will remain closed until further notice.
A detour route has been set up from Fairview Line, to Highway 40, to Longwoods Road.
The bridge has been closed since 7:20 p.m. on Thursday.
We’ll provide more information when it becomes available.
