Tanker fire on I-75 bridge in Detroit shuts down freeway

DETROIT (WJBK) - A tanker fire on an Interstate 75 bridge in southwest Detroit has shut down a stretch of the freeway.

The northbound and southbound lanes at the Rouge River Bridge were shut down early Friday morning. The northbound lanes reopened just before 7:30 a.m. but the southbound side remains closed at this time.

FOX 2's Robin Murdoch reports seeing drivers backing up on the freeway to avoid the congestion.

The Michigan Department of Transportation says the bridge will be inspected to determine when the roadway will reopen. Diane Cross, a spokesperson for MDOT, says she thinks the southbound lanes will be closed for at least the rest of the morning.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported.

Cross says the tanker was not carrying any fuel, and that he was on his way to Marathon to fill up. She says the outcome of the fire would have been very different if the driver had a full tank.

She says there have been four tanker fires in different locations over the past two years. 

UPDATE: Two lanes on the Rouge River Bridge have reopened.