Burning truck creates traffic jam on interstate in Columbia during morning commute
Drivers making the Thursday morning commute in Columbia were stuck in a traffic jam caused by a burning vehicle that shutdown one side of a major interstate.
All northbound lanes on Interstate 77 were blocked by the fire that began at about 7:50 a.m., the South Carolina Department of Transportation said on Twitter.
A tractor trailer that went up in flames brought traffic to a halt on I-77 near Exit 5, according to the Columbia Fire Department. That is the junction with Bluff Road toward downtown Columbia.
As of 8:15 a.m., firefighters were battling the 18-wheeler blaze.
Information on possible injuries caused by the fire was not available from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, but the fire department reported no one was hurt.
There was no word on how the fire started, if it was the result of a collision, or the number of vehicles that might have been involved.
Plumes of black smoke billowing in the sky above the highway could be seen on traffic cameras. Vehicles were backed up for miles back to the junction with Interstate 26, traffic cameras showed.
It’s not known how long it will take to reopen I-77, but drivers are encouraged to find alternative routes as South Carolina Highway Patrol said to expect delays in the area.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 8:14 AM.
