Tanker fire closes I-287 in White Plains

If you were trying to get to a business appointment in the central Westchester area this afternoon, you could have been among the thousands who were stuck in traffic backups caused by the closing of I-287.

A gasoline tanker truck caught fire going eastbound, beyond the Bryant Avenue overpass in White Plains. White Plains firefighters were among the first responders who fought successfully to keep the fire from spreading to the tanker of the mobile rig.
The cab area of the truck was virtually destroyed by the flames. For a time, the interstate highway was closed in both directions. The westbound lanes were subsequently reopened, but the eastbound lanes remained closed.

Motorists thinking they could avoid the I-287 delays by taking the parallel eastbound lanes of Westchester Avenue were in for rude awakenings when they discovered that roadway also was clogged with traffic.