Propane leak closes 20 miles of turnpike

LITCHFIELD – Officials closed down a 20-mile section of the Maine Turnpike for more than two hours Monday after a propane tank overturned and leaked at a turnpike maintenance facility.

The north- and southbound lanes of the highway were shut down at about 6:20 a.m. between Sabattus and Gardiner after the leak was discovered at the Maine Turnpike Authority’s maintenance facility in Litchfield, said Maine Turnpike Authority spokesman Dan Paradee.

Firefighter crews that were called to the scene brought the leak under control by shutting off the propane, Paradee said. No injuries were reported.

The road was reopened to traffic shortly before 9 a.m.