Main Street In Watertown Shut Down After Oil Leak

WATERTOWN (CBS) - An oil leak forced police to shut down a busy road in Watertown.

Police closed off Main Street (Route 20) between Spring Street and Waverley Avenue overnight after an oil-cooled transmission line that runs from Brighton to Watertown ruptured. Crews covered the pavement in sand to absorb the leaking oil and the road was then torn up for repairs.

At 4 p.m. the westbound side will reopen to Whites Avenue but the eastbound side will remain closed. Police ask drivers to continue avoiding the area.

"There was a rupture inside the pipe, it made it's way to the surface and flowed across the surface," said Superintendent of Public Works Gerald Mee. "This is one big mess we've got going on here."

According to Eversource, they got a call around 8 p.m. Monday that the leak was discovered at one of their underground electrical sites and was spilling into the street. They're still trying to figure out what caused the line to rupture.

Eversource says no customers lost power. Police said the oil is non-hazardous and there is no threat to the water or sewer system. The cleanup is expected to continue into the afternoon.

"We are trying to just get the grease off the roads and make it driveable," said Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn.