THE BRONX — A tractor-trailer burst into flames Monday afternoon, shutting down the Cross Bronx Expressway in the middle of rush hour and snarling traffic for miles, officials said.
The fire began at 3:44 p.m., onboard a large truck that was traveling southbound on the highway near Rosedale Avenue, FDNY officials said.
The northbound lanes were blocked off by the NYPD, said Adam Levine, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, who said the police were working to deal with traffic flow. He said traffic had backed up at least two miles to Zerega Avenue, the last he had heard. The NYPD confirmed that the entire highway had shut down.
Images posted by users on Facebook and Twitter showed giant plumes of smoke coming from a large white truck trapped on an overpass, and firefighters running hoses from the ground.
A man was taken to Jacobi Hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation, the FDNY said, but it was unclear whether he was the truck's operator or another nearby motorist.
The highway reopened about 5:30 p.m., but traffic backups continued until about 8:30 p.m., Levine said Monday evening.
