Update — Crews reopen I-20 to traffic less than 2 days after bridge collapse

GRANITEVILLE, SC (WOLO) —  After what SCDOT calls a major emergency response effort, including bridge demolition, cleanup, paving and more, crews worked around the clock to safely reopen the interstate within 36 hours from impact.

According to responding authorities, when a tanker truck carrying fuel crashed under a bridge in Aiken County, the truck erupted into flames.

The fire was so intense, it caused the overpass to collapse onto I-20 — which helps connect Augusta, Georgia to Columbia.

Authorities initially closed the interstate for miles.

Photo courtesy: SCDOT from June 15th

Firefighters say the tanker truck was carrying 85-hundred gallons of gasoline. Two people were hurt in the crash and taken to a hospital for treatment. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation along with South Carolina Highway Patrol, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office and the Graniteville Vaucluse Warrenville Fire Department, all played roles in helping with and cleaning up the incident.