I-95 bridge in Harnett County fully reopens day after truck fire

DUNN, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Interstate 95 bridge damaged by a fire Tuesday afternoon reopened after samples of the damaged steel beams were analyzed at a Raleigh lab, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

The bridge closed about 2 p.m. Tuesday after a truck that caught fire stalled underneath the bridge at the I-95 - U.S. 421 interchange in Dunn, exposing the steel to intense heat. The driver was not harmed.

On Wednesday morning, inspectors from NCDOT collected samples and assessed the damage.

NCDOT said heat from the fire did not cause significant or lasting structural damage to the bridge. Because of that, crews reopened the left lane of the interstate bridge at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Test results of the steel beams showed no damage.

Some minor repair work was completed before the right lane was reopened.

The right lane reopened about 9:30 p.m. Traffic has returned to normal, the NCDOT said.