Cooking fat spill snarls morning rush on I-76

A jackknifed tractor-trailer spilled its cargo of cooking fat on the Schuylkill Expressway near 30th Street Station late Tuesday, prompting a major cleanup that lasted until after Wednesday's morning rush hour.

PennDot reported that the last section of roadway affected by the accident - Exit 344 at the I-676 Vine Street Expressway - reopened about 10:30 a.m.

Officials said the rig jackknifed about 11 hours earlier on the stretch of I-76 that runs under the train station. The trailer hit a pillar and was ripped apart, spilling its cargo of boxes of shortening.

Crews spread sand to soak up the shortening as part of the cleanup, but their work was hampered by rain.

The cause of the crash was under investigation and there was no word from officials on possible charges.