A tractor trailer crashed early Thursday morning ahead of the Fort McHenry Tunnel, spilling fuel and causing four lanes to be temporarily shut down.
The cleanup required closures of the tunnel’s tubes throughout the day. But at 2:40 p.m., the Maryland Transportation Authority was reporting that all lanes of the tunnel had been fully reopened.
The tractor trailer caught fire, and it took Baltimore City Fire Department crews about 40 minutes to extinguish the blaze, according to spokesperson John Marsh. Officials warned Thursday morning that drivers should expect “major delays.”
The driver of the tractor trailer — which was carrying produce — was treated for minor injuries, said Sgt. Brady McCormick, a Maryland Transportation Authority Police spokesperson.
Traffic was detoured southbound at Exit 56, Keith Avenue, he said.
The northbound left tube of the tunnel, which has two bores, was also temporarily closed as part of the response to the single-vehicle crash, according to the MDTA.
Since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March, the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels have absorbed most of the bridge’s traffic, causing traffic to consistently stay high.
Delays due to the accident also affected local Link Routes 160, 163 and 120 with delays, according to the Maryland Transit Administration.
This is a developing story.
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