The N3 highway near Spaghetti Junction has reopened to traffic following a chemical spill on Friday morning.
The highway was closed around 7am after a truck carrying a hazardous chemical spilled its load on the Durban-bound lane.
Both sides of the highway were closed for several hours to allow for clean up operations.
Garrith Jamieson, from ALS Paramedics, confirmed that the freeway was opened just after 5pm on Friday.
A total of five people, including two policemen who responded to the scene, had to be treated for breathing difficulty and abdominal pain.
Three people were taken to hospital for further care.
eThekwini Municipality cautioned motorists that inhalation of the hydrochloric acid may cause eye, nose, and respiratory tract irritation and inflammation in humans.
Emergency workers urged anyone who had exposure to the gas and presented with any symptoms like respiratory difficulty, eye irritation, nose irritation, skin irritation, stomach cramps to seek prompt medical attention.
However, the City later said that environmental scientists and officials were working to ascertain the type of substance that spilled over the road this morning.
“The closure has also caused heavy traffic volumes on roads leading to the Pinetown CBD, M7 and M13.”
Meanwhile in a separate incident, a woman lost her life on a horror crash on the M13 on Friday.
Six other people, including four children were injured.
IOL News