A fiery wreck between Little Rock and Memphis caused lengthy delays early Thursday as authorities diverted traffic and repaired damaged pavement caused by the flames, the state Department of Transportation said.
The agency said a tractor-trailer caught fire roughly halfway between Little Rock and Memphis before 3 a.m., forcing the closure of westbound I-40 in Monroe County. By 10 a.m., the left lane was back open.
Danny Straessle, a spokesman for the department, said the cleanup took several hours because the fire “burned so hot it damaged the pavement.”
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Some travelers caught behind the wreck were stuck for hours until the lanes reopened, he said. The heavily charred remains of the truck were also hard to transport away, Straessle added.
A report from the transportation department listed one person was injured.
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— Arkansas DOT (@myARDOT) January 24, 2019