Cleanup efforts are underway after a tanker truck carrying ethanol rolled over early Wednesday morning, setting off a major fire and causing considerable traffic delays.
The fire was sparked around 6:00 a.m. on I-270 south, directly under I-70 lanes in west Columbus.
Police said the truck carrying some 10,000 gallons of ethanol rolled over and caught fire, igniting massive blaze. It's unclear how the truck ended up on its side.
Fire crews were able to safely extinguish the flames about an hour after the crash.
The driver - 50-year-old Charles Lackings - of Akron-based HOC Transport Company was able to escape, but was taken to Doctors West Hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. He has been charged with failure to control and transporting a hazardous load in city limits.
Lackings has been with the company since August 2014 and has no prior accident history.
According to the Public Utilities Commission Of Ohio (PUCO), any tanker carrying hazardous materials in Ohio must register with PUCO, and in this case, the truck was in fact up-to-date on registration with the Commission, as well as federal regulations.
ODOT says the crash caused around $1 million in damages to the surrounding bridges and roads. Parts of the I-70 bridges and pavement on the 270 ramp will need repairs. Those repairs are expected to take around 30 days to complete.
Meanwhile, I-70 westbound lanes were reopened Wednesday evening. ODOT will create a crossover lane and expects eastbound traffic to begin flowing by Friday at noon.
Transportation officials are working with the governor to allocate emergency state funding to the repair project.
TIMELINE
6:00 AM – Vehicle fire reported
6:30 AM – ODOT on scene
7:00 AM – I-70 EB/WB at I-270 shut down
7:15 AM – I-270 NB/SB at I-70 shut down
7:30 AM – I-270 NB/SB mainline open, ramps still closed
9:15 AM – ODOT inspectors/engineers on scene
12:15 PM – ODOT Director Wray briefed the media
1:30 PM – ODOT physically inspecting the bridge to determine extent of damage
3:00 PM – ODOT briefed area contractors
4:30 PM – Media briefing on construction timeline
5:45 PM – Two lanes of I-70 WB open at I-270
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