UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect the latest details on the reopening of Interstate 85 and closure of North Carolina Highway 86.

A fiery crash along Interstate 85 near Hillsborough killed the driver of a tractor trailer truck in the early morning hours of Wednesday, causing the interstate to be closed for several hours.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media alert to the community that the truck struck the overpass while traveling southbound on I-85 around 2:22 a.m. The vehicle then flipped and caught fire, killing the driver and strewing debris across the interstate.

Shortly after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Transportation shared access along I-85 South had reopened to traffic, after motorists had been detoured down the off and on ramps from Exit 165 to North Carolina Highway 86. The overpass of NC 86, however, is going to remain closed after NCDOT inspected the bridge’s structural integrity. The road, which serves as a go-between for the Hampton Pointe shopping center and U.S. Business 70, will remain closed for at least two days as repairs and further inspection continue.

While debris was cleared through Wednesday morning, the state department pushed back the reopening of both roads several times. NCDOT initially said the interstate’s would reopen at 6 a.m. following the crash, before adjusting to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday after the bridge inspection began.

Aftermath of the fatal tractor trailer crash on Interstate 85 South on September 14. (Photo via the Orange Rural Fire Department.)

Those traveling along NC 86 are encouraged to use U.S. Business 70, Lawrence Road and Old NC Highway 10 to detour around the closed bridge, according to NCDOT and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Motorists along I-85 South might also experience a lane closure periodically over the next week as repairs are completed — but NCDOT said the entire south-bound stretch is not expected to be closed like Wednesday morning.

For further updates on Interstate 85 South’s closure, visit the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s traffic map and crash website.

Photo via WRAL Sky 5.

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