A truck caught fire in the E-ZPass express lanes of the Mid-County toll plaza in Montgomery County Wednesday morning, causing traffic to back up on the Blue Route through the morning.
The tractor-trailer caught fire around 3:20 a.m. in the express lane where the northbound lanes of Interstate 476 meet the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It blocked all lanes as the Pennsylvania Turnpike warned drivers to "be alert for slow or stopped traffic."
VEHICLE FIRE - #Paturnpike - I-476 Northbound at Mid County Interchange #20 all lanes are blocked at this time. Be alert for slow or stopped traffic.@PA_Turnpike @TotalTrafficPHL @KYWRadioTraffic pic.twitter.com/JUudRN8iZD
— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) September 25, 2024
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More than two hours later, the charred truck remained stopped in the northbound express toll lane.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the crash, county dispatchers said.
I-476 northbound traffic was for some time being forced off at Exit 20. However, drivers were once again getting past the tollbooth in at least two lanes shortly before 6 a.m., reported NBC10 First Alert Traffic reporter Matt DeLucia.
Transportation and Transit
UPDATE: 2 lanes of the Mid-County tolls have reopened at I-476 NB. @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/d4GGiQ32me
— Matt DeLucia (@MattDeLucia) September 25, 2024
The regular tollbooth lanes were open as of daybreak, however the express lanes remained closed, according to 511PA.com. The closure continued through the morning.
The best bet is to avoid the area if possible until the crash can be cleared.
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