Columbus, OH :ODOT reopens westbound I-70 on West Side after fiery crash on Wednesday ,july 1st 2015

Concrete peeled away and steel bars began to warp as flames from an overturned ethanol tanker licked the eastbound I-70 bridge over the Outerbelt on the West Side Wednesday morning.

By the time the fire was extinguished, traffic had been stalled for hours and part of the bridge was left a scorched ruin that will cost about $1 million to replace.

“The fire was so great, so hot, that it compromised the integrity of the concrete and the steel,” said Nancy Burton, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. “That part needs to be replaced.”

Now, ODOT is scrambling to re-route traffic in and around the I-70/I-270 interchange in time for Red, White & Boom on Friday. It also must finalize plans to replace a 60-foot section of the span.

The driver of the overturned tanker, Charles Lackings, 50, of Beavercreek, near Dayton, was treated for minor injuries. Columbus police charged him with failure to control and transporting hazardous material within city limits.

Traffic on westbound I-70 was reopened at the interchange by about 6 p.m., but eastbound lanes likely will remain closed from the Outerbelt to Wilson Road throughout today.

ODOT is expecting to shift eastbound I-70 traffic across the median to share the westbound side of the bridge by noon on Friday.

Once the crossover is complete, two lanes of traffic will be open in both directions across the bridge. ODOT plans to open bids today from contractors looking to replace the scorched section of the eastbound bridge. The department plans to build incentives into the contract to complete the work within 30 days, said Matt Bruning, ODOT spokesman.




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ODOT reopens westbound I-70 on West Side after fiery crash