Burning vehicle backs up traffic for miles on highway heading to Columbia, officials say
Some drivers making the Monday morning commute toward Columbia were stuck in a miles-long traffic jam caused by a vehicle fire on Interstate 26, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
The burning vehicle caused all of the westbound lanes on I-26 to be blocked near the 130 mile marker, SCDOT said. That’s near the line separating Lexington and Calhoun counties.
The vehicle fire happened at about 8:20 a.m., according to SCDOT. As of 9:40 a.m., traffic cameras showed that all of the lanes remained closed.
Information about the cause of the fire was not available.
There was no word if any injuries were caused by the fire.
Traffic cameras showed vehicles backed up for at least 5 miles behind where the lanes were blocked.
At about 9:45 a.m., SCDOT reported that one of the westbound lanes was opened and traffic began moving slowly through the area where the burning vehicle had been located.
There was no word about how long it will take to reopen all of the lanes and clear the scene.
Drivers unable to avoid that stretch of I-26 should expect delays.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 9:47 AM.
