Update:
12.30am – All routes have been cleared, declared safe and reopened.
A major oil spillage resulted in serious traffic issues on the M18 motorway, N85 and N68 routes.
Fire crews were initially alerted to the spillage on the M18 between junctions 12 (Killoo) and 11 (Dromoland) as well as on the N85 ring-road between the motorway and Lahinch Road.
Four units of the Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis responded to the motorway incident first and they were joined by two units from Shannon station.
There was a collision on the M18 when a car lost control on the slippy surface while an ambulance service vehicle also lost control but didn’t crash.
While fire crews treated the spillage, they were alerted to a road traffic collision on the N68 at Caherea, Lissycasey.
One vehicle left the road and crashed into a field while another car also spun on in the greasy conditions believed to have been caused by the same oil spillage. There were several other near misses on the road.
Traffic Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and local authority road crews are also assisting with clearing the spillage.
No persons were injured in any of the collisions.