Part of I-10 reopened at 40th Street in Phoenix after large vehicle fire

PHOENIX — Part of a major Phoenix freeway has reopened Friday after a large vehicle fire caused an hours-long closure and sent dark plumes of smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles.

Interstate 10 was closed in both directions at 40th Street for a time, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced.

The closure allowed crews to access the semi-truck fire.

I-10 update: The right 2 westbound lanes are now open. Eastbound, HOV and the left lane are blocked. We're seeing very long delays in both directions, so it's best to avoid the area and use alternate routes for the next few hours. #PhxTraffic pic.twitter.com/ZvqJBfXxBY

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 25, 2018

All of the lanes were reopened just before 2 p.m.

OPEN: I-10 Westbound at 40th St, all lanes of travel have been REOPENED..#phxtraffic

— MCDOT News (@MCDOTNews) May 25, 2018

The fire was caused after the driver of the semi-truck struck the median. The cab of the truck crossed the median, affecting the other lane of travel.

The driver was able to get out and was unharmed. There were no other vehicles involved in the crash.

The department advised drivers to exit the highway well ahead of the crash site and use an alternate route for the next several hours.

An investigation is ongoing.

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