Recycling truck spills aluminum cans on Highway 30

CEDAR RAPIDS – Thousands of crushed beer cans scattered across Highway 30 Monday morning when a semi-trailer truck lost its load.

Police said the semi driver was headed to a Cedar Rapids recycling center around 10:30 a.m. when he lost his load in the westbound lanes near the Sixth Street SW overpass.

“The back door popped open, and out they flew,” Lt. Kenneth Washburn said.

Police and Department of Transportation workers used brooms, shovels and pitchforks to push the debris, which stretched for about a quarter-mile, to the shoulder of the roadway. A snow plow soon arrived and made few sweeps. Workers with Can Shed, the planned destination of the cans, later picked up the cans by hand.

Traffic was reduced to one lane in the area. The crushed cans fluttered up with the whoosh of semis as they went by.

The semi driver, whose name was not immediately released, was cited by the DOT for carrying an unsecure load, police said.

A DOT vehicle enforcement officer inspected the semi, and police said it would be taken off the road for a mechanical problem.

Washburn said he was not aware of any damage that was caused by the incident. Just one big mess.