I-75 Closed Through Tuesday Morning In Troy After Tanker Fire

TROY, MI — I-75 is expected to be closed Tuesday morning after a fuel tanker carrying 10,000 gallons of gasoline and 4,000 gallons of diesel caught fire early Monday afternoon, prompting authorities to close the freeway.

Troy Police officials said the closure is persisting overnight and into the morning because an inspection of the roadway and repairs are expected to "take time." The closure stretched from Rochester Road to Square Lake Road, authorities said.

All lanes of the freeway were closed at Big Beaver Monday afternoon after the tanker caught fire, sending thick, black smoke and flames into the sky. Authorities warned that the roadway may be closed for an extended period of time because the road "may have buckled from the heat of the fire."

"But we don’t have to tell you that’s going to back up like it’s Dream Cruise Saturday real fast," state police said.

Officials with the Troy Police Department initially reported Monday that the tanker caught fire along northbound I-75 at the Big Beaver curve. When fire crews arrived at the scene, they said they found the truck was on fire. Firefighters said they assisted in getting the driver away from the truck before he was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

No other injuries were reported as a result of the fire, authorities said. The highway will remain closed in both directions until it has been cleaned up and inspected by Michigan Department of Transportation engineers, fire officials said late Monday.

Photos and videos were taken by bystanders showing thick black smoke and flames rising high into the sky.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.