Tractor-trailer crash blocks westbound I-440 in central Arkansas; crews work to unload cargo, clear roadway

Vehicles were backed up on Interstate 440 on Saturday afternoon in this still taken from an Arkansas Department of Transportation camera.
Vehicles were backed up on Interstate 440 on Saturday afternoon in this still taken from an Arkansas Department of Transportation camera.

A tractor-trailer crash late Friday on Interstate 440 has caused traffic to snarl for more than six hours today as crews are working to unload the cargo and clear the roadway, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

The wreck occurred around 11:30 p.m. near the ramp to westbound Interstate 30. It occurred just as Friday's storm was intensifying, transportation department spokesman Danny Straessle said.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash and no injuries were reported, according to the agency.

The tandem trailer was hauling "miscellaneous dry goods" and was headed west when the driver lost control, causing the trailers to tip over, Straessle said.

After both trailers are unloaded, the entire tractor-trailer will be rigged up and towed from the scene. Meanwhile, traffic has been backed up for about five miles.

Crews were not dispatched to the scene until 7:30 a.m. today due to the inclement weather, according to the transportation department.

Straessle said the process is expected to be finished before sundown today.

Motorists are being rerouted to exit 138, which takes them to I-30 east.

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