Tanker fire shuts down I-75, collapses Nine Mile bridge

Hazel Park -- A two-mile stretch of Interstate 75 just north of Detroit remains closed as authorities investigate a fuel tanker explosion and overpass collapse.

Police say I-75 in both directions is indefinitely closed between Interstate 696 and 8 Mile Road. Drivers are being encouraged to use Woodward Avenue as an alternate route.

The tanker crashed and exploded on Wednesday, injuring three people and collapsing part of the Nine Mile overpass, leaving officials today wondering how long repairs could take on a major north-south artery.

About 8 p.m., the tanker containing 13,000 gallons of fuel traveling north on I-75, under the Nine Mile overpass, burst into flames, igniting the bridge, which quickly collapsed, Michigan State Police Lt. Shannon Sims said. "We don't know what caused it. We don't know if something collided with the tanker or not."

Everyone appears to have escaped the inferno: drivers from the tanker, a tractor-trailer and a passenger car, according to police. They are being treated at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak for undetermined injuries.

The three male drivers were being questioned about the crash late Wednesday, Sims said.

There were no cars or pedestrians on the bridge at the time of the accident.

The structure fell into a twisted mass of concrete and reinforced steel, melting the east half and sending plumes of smoke almost 200 feet into the air. The black billows could be seen for miles. The bridge on the northbound lanes dropped down onto a tractor-trailer and tanker, flattening both and leaving burned-out hulks of steel.

"It's a disaster," said John Grimes, 26, of Warren, standing with his girlfriend, Becca Pawloski, 20, who lives a block from the scene. "Basically, the Nine Mile/75 interchange no longer exists."

Pawloski interrupted: "No, it's worse than that. It's in the way."

"Yeah, they're going to need a whole new bridge and a whole new freeway," Grimes said. "I guess it's just another big problem among all our big problems here."

It was unclear which company the tanker worked for, Sims said. Police were working with Michigan Department of Transportation officials to have a contingency plan by today.

MDOT said they were waiting until firefighters extinguished the crash's blaze to have crews assess the damage, but repairs "could take weeks," communications director Bill Shreck said Wednesday. "We're just concerned about the damage and the road. ... We won't allow any traffic until we're confident it's safe for motorists." By early Thursday morning, shortly after 1 A.M., there were 10 MDOT vehicles lined up on the service drive, preparing to place barrels, electronic signs and traffic cones to shut down the bridge. There are more trucks on the east side/

While the area is closed, MDOT is advising drivers to take Interstate 696 or surface streets to Eight Mile to return to I-75, which some 160,000 vehicles travel daily, Shreck said.

The overpass was part of a recent $16.5 million state Department of Transportation construction project. The project involved restoring 16 overpasses, including Nine Mile over I-75 and the Nine Mile turn ramp over I-75.

The projects were scheduled between March 2008 and May 2009, according to MDOT.

The crash shocked drivers and passersby Wednesday night.

Nicole Caputo said her son, Antonio, was at the McDonald's nearby when he felt the ground shake.

"I was riding my bike on the catwalk and the ground shook. The truck turned on its side, then it blew up," Antonio said.

One motorist said shortly before the accident he saw a small, light car attempt to pass the tanker where the speed limit changes.

Ali Selman was working behind the counter at the Exxon gas station on Nine Mile when the crash occurred.

"I could see the big fire," he said, describing flames that rose above the Nine Mile bridge and extended higher than the eight-story Days Inn on the west side of the expressway.

He said he heard four loud booms within the five minutes after the crash. He said he quickly shut down his pumps and closed the station.

The fire raged for more than two hours after the crash.

DeWalt said his crew was able to contain the fire with foam provided by surrounding fire departments that came to help. The Department of Environmental Quality is on site to assess potential damage from the spilled fuel and from the smoke. No homes were evacuated, the chief said.

"It couldn't have happened at a worse spot -- under the overpass like that," he said. "We used foam from all the surrounding departments -- they all helped."

Royal Oak, Ferndale, Madison Heights and West Bloomfield Township agencies were on the scene. Detroit agencies were on standby.

Fawzi Algahim of Hazel Park said he came running the three blocks from his home north of Nine Mile when he heard heavy explosions and saw smoke.

"I was really worried about my friends here in the gas station," he said. "I thought the gas station blew up."

Chrissi Glide, 31, of Warren said she saw a ball of flames on I-75 heading toward Oakland Mall.

"It all had a 911 feel to it with the smoke and everything," she said.

The crash drew so much attention late Wednesday that the terms "I-75" and "Hazel Park" ranked among the most popular topics on the social messaging service Twitter. Twitterers posted short updates, or tweets, about the crash, urging others to avoid the interstate near Nine Mile and linking to photos and news reports.

"Tanker just exploded on I-75. Crazyyy!" posted one Twitterer named Turnzy14.

Another Twitterer named Rollic posted: "All my Detroit pals - avoid I-75. Insane tanker explosion just demolished the Nine Mile overpass."

Staff Writers Charlie Ramirez, Rob Snell, Tom Greenwood and Oralandar Brand-Williams contributed. The Associated Press also contributed.