All lanes on Interstate 40 east in St. Francis County are blocked after a tanker truck hauling diesel fuel caught fire, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation on Monday.
According to an IDrive Arkansas tweet posted at 4:00 p.m., the crash happened north of Madison. Drivers must exit 239 to take a detour, the tweet said.
Dave Parker, public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said he’s not sure what caused the crash.
“We have reports of as many as a dozen vehicles, a combination of commercial vehicles, trucks, possibly one dump truck, and four to five non-commercial vehicles involved in the crash,” Parker said.
The crash happened around 3:18 p.m., according to Parker.
The traffic jam extends for several miles and while crews are working to clear it, Parker said that could take several hours.
According to Parker, crews are giving water to people who are caught in the traffic backup.
Parker said he doesn’t have any reports on injuries at this time.
People can monitor IDriveArkansas.com for the latest information.
CORRECTION: The state Department of Transportation reported tanker truck catching fire on Monday. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the date of the fire.
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