A crash between a tanker truck and a big rig on Interstate 35W in Alvarado sparked a massive fire and closed most of the highway Friday morning.
The collision took place at about 4:30 a.m. just north of U.S. 67 and has closed all northbound lanes of the highway. Northbound traffic is being diverted at Maple Road.
The southbound lanes, which were closed for some time, reopened shortly before 6:45 a.m.
Val Lopez with the Texas Department of Transportation said due to the intensity of the fire and the volume of fuel, the fire was allowed to burn down before firefighters approached it.
Lopez said the freeway will be closed for the better part of the day as TxDOT crews remove wreckage and inspect the road for damage.
Fire crews said the tanker was hauling methanol, a fuel additive, and jack-knifed. Another 18-wheeler then hit the tanker, setting it ablaze. That fire burned for almost three hours.
At least one person is believed to have been injured in the crash. The severity of the injuries is unknown.
