MARTA bus fire creates ‘mess’ at Spaghetti Junction

A MARTA bus fire led to huge delays Tuesday morning at Spaghetti Junction.

The back portion of the bus burst into flames on I-85 North near the Buford Highway exit about 4:45 a.m., MARTA spokeswoman Stephany Fisher told AJC.com.

It is not clear how the fire began. DeKalb County firefighters responded to the scene and ultimately brought the blaze under control.

No passengers were on board at the time of the fire and the driver was able to get off the bus safely, Fisher said.

Spaghetti Junction, however, was “a mess” during the height of the morning commute, WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum said. The northbound and southbound ramps from I-85 to I-285 West were shut down for hours, making for a rough drive from Lawrenceville, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

All lanes reopened just before 8:40 a.m., the Traffic Center reported.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, Fisher said.

The blaze was one of three incidents that impacted major interstates before sunrise.

In Fulton County, all eastbound lanes of I-20 at Fulton Industrial Boulevard were shut down for more than four hours due to a deadly crash involving a tractor-trailer.

And authorities shut down the exit ramp from the southbound Downtown Connector to I-20 East due to an overturned Coca-Cola delivery truck, according to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

The driver exited the tractor-trailer on his own through the front windshield and only minor injuries were reported, the agency said in a tweet.

“Worst #ATLtraffic morning we’ve seen in a while,” WSB traffic reporter Ashley Frasca wrote in a tweet.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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