A semi truck fire on Interstate 80 near Parleys Canyon created significant delays for westbound traffic, drawing attention to the vulnerabilities and incidents that can instantly disrupt the flow of our roadways. According to KPCW, the incident began around 11 a.m. Monday when the truck's rear axle caught fire at mile point 128, near the I-215 intersection.
All lanes were subsequently closed, bringing traffic to a standstill and causing backups stretching as far as east Summit Park. The halted drivers, having set out with destinations in mind, found their plans incinerated by chance and circumstance. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cameron Roden said, "Driver was able to get it stopped and get the cab of the truck separated from the trailer," as per KPCW.
Efforts to manage the situation saw traffic being diverted to the I-215 ramp. As reported by FOX 13, the lanes were eventually reopened around 4:30 p.m., but not before UDOT issued a warning expecting delays of 2-3 more hours. Despite the road being cleared, another truck-related issue occurred when a semi stalled in the center lane, further exacerbating the day's congestion.
However, by mid-evening, traffic conditions returned to normal, with the flow resuming its regular pace along I-80. The fire did not simply halt traffic, but it spread up the mountain about 20 feet, as per KSL Newsradio, before it was quickly extinguished. The trailer, however, was declared a "total loss" and the driver, fortunately, received no injuries as he was able to safely disconnect the cab from the burning trailer.
