The John Vorster Avenue offramp from the N1 south highway in Centurion will be closed to traffic for the greater part of Wednesday after a toxic spill, Tshwane metro police said.
Spokesperson Louise Britz said the highway remained closed after about 10 000 litres of sulphuric acid spilled on to the offramp when a truck transporting it overturned on Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency services spokesperson Johan Pieterse said the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle before it overturned.
He said many people had reported damage to the paintwork of their cars and to their tyres after driving over the acid.
Pieterse said a special clean-up team has been contracted to contain the spillage and take it to a safe place for disposal.
A layer of lime will then be placed on the road and it would be washed down with water.
Should any traces of the acid remain, the clean-up team would have to repeat the process.
Stormwater drains would also have to be cleaned, he said.
Traffic was already backed up until before the R21 highway, she said.
Britz advised motorists to use the R21 south offramp, the Botha Avenue offramp or the old Johannesburg road as alternative routes.
Metro police were on the scene. — Sapa