Motorists headed north on the Riverside 215 Freeway might get a whiff of the sea near the Mount Vernon overpass Saturday.
The northbound lanes were the site of a Friday afternoon spill of tons of sardines that had been scooped out of Redondo Beach's King Harbor after a mass die-off of millions of the fish early Tuesday.
A crate of the oily, decaying fish came off a truck, and the mess closed two lanes until a heavy equipment operator could push it onto the shoulder. Cleanup crews mixed the fish with dirt to help sop up the oil and make the slippery, 4-6 inch fish easier to pick up, most of which was done by shovel.
The spill -- not far from the Fiesta Village miniature golf and batting park off East Washington Street -- occurred shortly after 3 p.m., backing up afternoon traffic some 10 miles into Riverside. The backup did not clear until after 6 p.m.
The trucker may not have been aware that he lost part of his load, but a Caltrans spokeswoman told the Press-Enterprise she expected the agency to go after the trucking company for the cost of the cleanup, which she estimated at $1,000.
The fish were en route to a Victorville company that uses them to make fertilizer.
