TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Michigan Department of Transportation will try to open a single southbound lane tonight and a northbound far right lane may open sometime tomorrow.
I-75 remains closed at this time after a massive fuel tanker fire on Monday afternoon.
The highway is shut down on the southbound lanes at Square Lake, while the northbound lanes are closed at Rochester Road. You'll have to take Woodward Ave. to avoid the closure.
Concrete inspection is still ongoing and any repairs are expected to take some time.
PHOTOS: Fuel tanker fire shuts down I-75 in both directions in Troy
A preliminary investigation found that the tanker driver hit the center median wall of northbound I-75 near the Big Beaver Road overpass and immediately caught fire.
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
Firefighters were able to put out the fire after more than two hours. The driver of the tanker truck, a 46-year-old man from Saint Clair, was able to escape the crash and was alert on the scene but was taken by ambulance for medical treatment. He has minor injuries.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Damage assessments haven't been made yet as the environmental cleanup is ongoing.
The Troy Police Department is handling the investigation. Videos and photos from viewers show the magnitude of the fire.
Photo from Ryan Baetens:
This photo was taken by Noah Brancheau.
The @TroyMI_Police Department is handling a traffic crash on I 75 near Big Beaver. They will be releasing any information on the incident. Watch for traffic backups in the area. pic.twitter.com/0GY3bgh53k
— MSP Metro Detroit (@mspmetrodet) July 12, 2021
