Oil spill closes busy highway

Oil believed to have spilled from an oil truck today forced Anne Arundel County police to close a 1.5-mile section of Ritchie Highway in both directions for more than 90 minutes.

Police discovered the oil about 8:20 a.m. and said it had made the busy road "as slick as ice." Several minor skidding accidents were reported.

Police stopped traffic from 11th Street in Brooklyn Park north to the Baltimore city line, creating major traffic problems for north county motorists.

Traffic was permitted to cross the highway, but it remained closed to north-south traffic until just after 10 a.m.

County sand trucks were called in to treat the road surface.

The identity of the truck and the type of oil involved were being investigated.