4:40 P.M. UPDATE:
A lane of northbound Interstate 430 at the Arkansas River bridge has reopened Thursday more than 10 hours after an 18-wheeler carrying cases of bottled water overturned there.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation said at 4:29 p.m. that the outside lane was reopened. The other two lanes were reopened by 8:40 a.m.
EARLIER:
Two lanes of northbound Interstate 430 have reopened at the Arkansas River bridge after an 18-wheeler carrying cases of bottled water overturned there Thursday morning, but one lane remained blocked more than eight hours later.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation said shortly after 6 a.m. that the wreck closed the northbound highway entirely, quickly causing a miles-long backup as the morning rush hour commenced.
By 7:20 a.m., one northbound lane was back open. By 8:40 a.m., only the outside lane was closed while crews worked to unload the bottled water cases from the truck before it could be uprighted and towed away, said Danny Straessle, a spokesman for the highway agency.
Officials initially expected the highway to be clear by 1 p.m., but crews were still working then and the outside lane remained shut. In a tweet, the highway agency said the effort was taking "longer than expected." There was no estimate given for when the outside lane would reopen.
No lanes were blocked on southbound I-430, but a significant backup was reported there too Thursday morning. Heavy traffic on the Interstate 30 bridge was also reported then as more vehicles used it than normal because of the I-430 wreck, officials said.
