Hürth (dpa / lnw) – The closure of Autobahn 1 between Erftstadt and Cologne due to a hydrochloric acid leak on a tanker truck at a rest area is expected to last until at least 5 p.m. on Monday. That said a spokesman for the Hürth fire department. Picking up the hydrochloric acid will last at least until the afternoon. The dangerous substance escaping at a motorway rest stop was reported to the fire brigade by emergency call in the morning. The A1 was closed for about 15 kilometers in both directions between the Erfttal motorway junction and the Cologne-West motorway junction on the Cologne ring road.
According to the fire department, 125 firefighters from the Rhein-Erft district were on site. The firefighters working directly at the point of danger wore acid-resistant protective suits and breathing apparatus. The hydrochloric acid had to be picked up and then decanted, the spokesman said. “The leak is relatively manageable.” A specialist company will decant the hydrochloric acid.
The Cologne police said that the blockage in the west of Cologne could be bypassed via the A4 and the A61. There is a traffic disruption, but “no major traffic jams,” said a spokesman at noon, pointing out that Monday was a bridging day before the All Saints’ Day holiday. Drivers should drive around the area.
According to the Autobahn GmbH, traffic was briefly diverted from the Erfttal motorway junction via the A61, which was actually closed, to the Kerpen motorway junction. From the Türnich junction, only a narrow lane is available. The A61 will only be opened for the duration of the full closure of the A1.
