The tanker is blocking all lanes between Wicker and Stop 11 roads.
INDIANAPOLIS — A tanker fire bottled up traffic on State Road 37 on the south side of Indianapolis Friday morning.
The tanker hit the barrier on the southbound side of the construction zone between Wicker and Stop 11 roads, and caught fire shortly before 6:30 a.m.
According to State Police, preliminary information is that a front tire on the semi blew, causing the semi to hit a guardrail. The fuel tank ruptured, starting the fire. The driver was able to get out of the semi before it became engulfed.
The tanker had been carrying liquid asphalt, according to police, but was empty.
Both directions of traffic are shut down.
Fire departments from surrounding areas responded with water tankers to help extinguish the fire.
State Police said nobody was injured in the crash.
Traffic is able to exit State Road 37 at Southport and Fairview roads, then use Bluff Road to travel north and south to avoid the fire scene.
All traffic in both directions is currently funneled onto the southbound side of State Road 37 because the normal northbound side is under construction as part of the Interstate 69 extension project.
The clean-up process is expected to last several hours.
Read More: Tanker fire shuts down S.R. 37 on south side of Indianapolis