AKRON, Ohio — The ramp from Interstate 271 to southbound State Route 8 reopened late Tuesday after it had been closed after a tanker truck caught fire over the weekend, highway officials said. 

What You Need To Know

  • On Saturday, a tanker truck attempted to enter I-271 north in Northfield off of S.R. 8, when it fell off the side of the bridge and burst into flames

  • Inspections showed the ramp didn't sustain damage from the fire

  • Only one lane of the ramp will remain open, and officials haven't released a day for the second lane to reopen

On Saturday, a tanker truck attempted to enter I-271 north in Northfield off of S.R. 8 when it fell off the side of the bridge and burst into flames in S.R. 8's northbound lanes. Since then, Ohio Department of Transportation officials have closed down some roads to perform inspections on areas that could have been affected by the fire. 

Officials have deemed the I-271 ramp to be safe.

“Inspectors determined that while repairs will be needed, the damage was cosmetic, not structural,” ODOT District 4 Deputy Director Gery Noirot said in a press release.

ODOT said it plans to keep only one lane of the ramp open while crews continue to use the other lane as a staging area for their operations. It's unknown when the second will reopen. 

Crews will continue to perform inspections and repairs throughout the week. They are currently assessing the flyover ramp, which carries northbound S.R. 8 to northbound I-271. They will mill off and replace the top layer of the southbound S.R. 8 bridge over Brandywine Creek, officials said. 

Before communting, ODOT urged drivers to check OHGO.com, which shows current traffic conditions throughout the state.

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