Road re-opened after lorry container chemical spill at A14/A140 junction
Kettle Lane, Needham Market where a lorry caused the road to be closed after a chemical leak.
A 43-year-old man has been arrested by police after a lorry shed part of its load near Needham Market.
Kettle Lane, which connects the A140/A14 junction roundabout with the A14 westbound entry slip road, had to be closed after a container fell off the vehicle and started to leak a diluted solution of a chemical called acrylamide.
It happened at around 9.10am today after police became aware of the curtain-sided lorry as it went round the roundabout.
The road was re-opened shortly after 5.15pm.
Officers followed the vehicle which shortly afterwards shed one of the two containers it was carrying, which then split open and began to leak its contents.
A police spokesman later confirmed the driver of the lorry had been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
He was taken to Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre for questioning.
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While the incident was dealt with police advised people driving in the area to keep their windows shut as a precaution.
They also had to ask motorists not to ignore the road closed signs and continued to drive towards the spillage.
The fire service said around 1,000 litres of the chemical had spilled out of the container and posed “a serious threat to the environment”, although was not believed to be flammable or explosive.
Four appliances attended along with an officer experienced in hazardous materials.
Crews wore breathing apparatus and protective equipment to secure the load before moving the lorry.
The leaking container was lifted back on board using a forklift truck.
The Environment Agency also attended the scene and remain on-site.
