Holy Cow!
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A stretch of I-75 was expected to be shut down indefinitely after a gasoline tanker exploded Wednesday night near 9 Mile, causing the overpass on the northbound side to collapse.
Thick black smoke billowed from the scene and flames shot up 150 to 200 feet, snarling traffic on both sides. Authorities advised the thousands of commuters heading for work this morning to look for alternative routes.
That section of I-75 — from 8 Mile to I-696 — carries an average of more than 160,000 vehicles a day, according to state traffic counts.
The tanker overturned apparently after colliding with a tractor-trailer. It was not immediately clear how many vehicles were involved. The tanker driver appeared to have survived.
Lt. Shannon Sims of the Michigan State Police post in Oak Park confirmed that the fire and heat from the tanker blast had caused the 9 Mile overpass above northbound I-75 to collapse.
“Until they get that fire out, it's going to be hard for us to get in there and determine what happened,” Sims said.
