The Loaf newsroom just received word of a major accident on I-275 South in St. Pete. According to the county, just before 1 p.m. today a rock hauler traveling south hit the guard rail and flipped over just past 54th Avenue N. (Exit 26). The truck burst into flames (since extinguished) and spilled 80-100 gallons of fuel onto the road. Per the press release:
"St. Petersburg Hazmat is handling the cleanup, which will include bringing a backhoe and dump truck full of dirt to the scene for absorption. During this maneuver, traffic will be restricted to one lane on the southbound side of the highway."
That sounds like it's going to take a few minutes, so consider this your head's up: If you're commuting to St. Pete from Tampa this afternoon, you might want to consider taking the Gandy Bridge or the Causeway.
Drive safe, everyone!
UPDATE: As of 4:30, Florida Highway Patrol has I-275 southbound as closed. Good luck getting home, Burgers.
This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2007.