Parts of I-285 in Cobb County were backed up for hours Tuesday after a tractor-trailer carrying paint caught on fire, officials said.
The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the interstate just past Atlanta Road, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
🚨RED ALERT Cobb Co: Truck fire cleanup still has all lanes closed on I-285/sb (Outer Loop) at S Atlanta Rd (Exit 16). Big jam before I-75. Take GA-400/sb or I-75/sb into town. #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/y0urDFSPh8
— Triple Team Traffic (@WSBTraffic) March 14, 2023
The big rig was carrying paint products, Cobb fire spokesperson Nick Danz said. A hazmat team remained at the scene more than seven hours after the incident. The last firetruck left the interstate at about 8 p.m., hours after the blaze had already been extinguished.
Around the same time, a third lane of I-285 opened to traffic. For hours, vehicles had to share a single lane, causing major backups during the evening commute.
Authorities have not said what caused the spill or if anyone was injured.
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