Delaware Memorial Bridge reopens after 6 and a half hour shutdown due to gas leak

NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Del. (WTXF) - The Delaware Memorial Bridge has reopened in both directions after an approximate six-hour shutdown to contain a gas leak.

Officials with the Delaware River and Bay Authority released several tweets alerting the public to avoid the area.

The gas leak came from Croda Atlas Point, a chemical production plant located in New Castle, Delaware. The gas released was ethylene oxide, a flammable gas with a sweet odor. Officials with Croda released a statement, which said, in part:

We can confirm that there was an ethylene oxide release at our facility in New Castle Delaware at approximately 4:15 p.m. today.

We can confirm that the situation is now under control, as the ethylene oxide release is fully contained.

The health and safety of the community and our workforce is always our primary concern. We are working with representatives from the DNREC environment agency on final checks to ensure that the local road network can reopen as soon as possible. We deeply regret the significant inconvenience that this has had on the community and those traveling in the area.