Tuesday evening turned into a traffic nightmare at the junction of NC 24 and Interstate 40 in Duplin County after a tractor-trailer overturned, blocking I-40 westbound and shutting down NC 24. Regional hazmat crews and local first responders rushed to the scene, and while officials said specialized hazardous materials teams were needed, they stressed there was no threat to public health. Drivers were told to steer clear of the area as traffic stacked up near Warsaw and detours pushed motorists onto surrounding local roads.
🚨 Attn Duplin County Residents and Motorists- NC Hazmat Regional Response Teams 2 & 3 from @WilmingtonFD & @FayettevilleFD are on scene with @DuplinCountyNC responders for an overturned TT at Hwy 24 & I-40. I-40 west & Hwy 24 are closed. No threat to the public. Avoid the area https://x.com/i/status/2066979125093347794
— NC Emergency Management (@ncemergency) June 16, 2026
Officials on scene
State emergency officials said on X that North Carolina Hazardous Materials Regional Response Teams 2 and 3, based in Wilmington and Fayetteville, were working alongside Duplin County responders to stabilize the overturned tractor-trailer, according to NC Emergency Management. The update noted that I-40 westbound and NC 24 were closed while crews carried out air monitoring and containment work. Authorities repeated that there was no current threat to the public and urged drivers to avoid the interchange while teams remained on site.
Traffic impact and detours
The shutdown hit a busy stretch of eastern North Carolina’s I-40 corridor near Warsaw, where NC 24 funnels interstate traffic to local roads and truck stops. Duplin County reports that I-40 is a crucial freight and commuter route through the county, and the closure pushed vehicles onto secondary roads around Exit 364, which in turn increased congestion on nearby local routes, according to Duplin County. Motorists were advised to check the state’s traveler information pages for detour options and live updates from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
Regional hazmat teams and capabilities
Wilmington’s Regional Response Team 2 and Fayetteville’s Team 3 operate as state-contracted hazardous materials units that respond across multiple counties when incidents involve potentially dangerous substances. The Wilmington Fire Department’s public safety information describes RRT-2 as equipped and trained for tasks such as air monitoring, containment and sampling, and documentation from the Fayetteville Fire Department notes that RRT-3 functions as the North Carolina Regional Response Team 3 serving several counties, according to the Wilmington Fire Department and Fayetteville Fire Department. These teams bring in specialized tools and technical personnel when local departments need extra support to limit potential contamination.
What residents and drivers should know
State emergency officials again emphasized that there is no current threat to residents, but they asked people to stay alert to local advisories and changing road conditions. Anyone traveling in the area is urged to avoid NC 24 and I-40 near the closure and to follow instructions from law enforcement handling traffic control, according to NC Emergency Management. Local and state agencies typically reopen affected roads only after air monitoring is complete and containment checks have cleared the scene.
We will update this post as state or county agencies release additional details and when travel lanes are reopened. For now, drivers should rely on official updates from North Carolina Emergency Management and Duplin County for the latest advisories.
