MOSSY, WV (WVNS) – Around 6:45 Thursday morning, a tractor-trailer carrying ammonium nitrate turned over on I-77 Northbound near Exit 62 at Mossy in Fayette County. 

The Northbound lane closures from Beckley to Charleston caused heavy traffic through the southern part of the state all day Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Traffic was rerouted from Beckley to Route 19 Northbound, causing major congestion on 19 as well.

No fatalities or serious injuries were reported due to the accident, but it threw a major wrench in many northbound drivers’ travel plans.

“It’s a big inconvenience. I’ve had to sit in this traffic for hours,” said Dan Taylor, who was traveling from Princeton to Charleston.

The detour north on Route 19 to avoid the accident site added more than an hour of travel time for anyone trying to get from Beckley to Charleston.

But for some, it also provided an excuse to stop off for a quick shopping trip.

“It’s the West Virginia Turnpike, and that’s life in West Virginia, between Charleston and Beckley and all points beyond. Thank goodness we’ve got Tamarack,” remarked Chris Thompson, who was traveling from North Carolina to Huntington.

Ammonium Nitrate is a white crystalline substance, which is similar in appearance to salt. It is commonly used in fertilizers and is explosive if it comes in contact with fuel or a heat source, which is why the situation is being treated so carefully.