Part of I-75 in metro Detroit was closed after a fuel tanker truck caught fire Monday in Troy, Mich., and damage to the road surface could keep things snarled there for days.
The Michigan DOT closed both northbound and southbound lanes because of the conflagration, caused after the tanker sideswiped a concrete median. The truck was carrying 12,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel.
Transportation officials don’t know when the roadway will be reopened, but it remains closed for sure through Tuesday morning’s commute.
The truck driver, a 46-year-old who was otherwise not identified, escaped and was treated for minor injuries. Police said no other injuries were reported.
Firefighters worked the blaze for hours using water, until firefighting foam arrived, which quickly extinguished the blaze.
🤯🤯🤯 A fuel tanker exploded in Troy, MI (I-75 and Big Beaver overpass) after crashing!
More on the story here: https://t.co/IGcIdqOKGz pic.twitter.com/LawJQKxkbZ
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports)
July 13, 2021
At 1:15 pm, a fuel tanker truck struck the center median wall of northbound I-75 near Big Beaver Rd. Troy Fire Dept fought the tanker fire for several hours. I-75 remains closed in both directions as MDOT engineers investigate the fire damage. ➡️https://t.co/435MeX98TW pic.twitter.com/HG0mk2SOC8
— Troy Police Department (@TroyMI_Police)
July 12, 2021
UPDATE: MDOT has advised that I-75 will remain closed overnight. Southbound at Square Lake and northbound at Rochester. Inspection and repair expected to take time. pic.twitter.com/Iw2nQtduqY
— Troy Police Department (@TroyMI_Police)
July 12, 2021