BRANCH COUNTY, Mich. — The Michigan State Police have reopened Interstate 69 to traffic after a semi-truck exploded Saturday evening.
At 5:20 p.m. Saturday, troopers from the Michigan State Police Marshall post responded to a report of an incident involving a semi on southbound I-69 near East Central Road in Branch County's Ovid Township.
The investigation revealed that a semi transporting paint was southbound on I-69 when it caught fire and then exploded. There were no injuries during the incident.
I-69 was initially closed to traffic in both directions due to debris crossing from the southbound into the northbound lanes. The northbound lanes were subsequently reopened, but southbound I-69 remained closed for 11 hours due to the environmental hazard and cleanup.
The southbound lanes were eventually reopened at 4:20 a.m. Sunday.
The Coldwater Police Department and Coldwater Fire Department assisted MSP at the scene.
The incident remains under investigation by the Michigan State Police.
