Crews are working to repair the lanes of U.S. 19 that were damaged in this morning's tractor-trailer crash and fire.
Most lanes have been reopened but traffic is still snarled in the area. Officials said crews are resurfacing the asphalt that was damaged on the northbound lanes, a process that should last through the evening.
Once that is complete, officials say all lanes will be open for normal traffic flow.
The northbound State Road 60 exit ramp will remain closed throughout the evening until Thursday afternoon due to contaminated soil related to a fuel leak from the accident. Once the soil is removed, the exit ramp will be reopened.
Sometime before 6 a.m., a northbound semi rode up onto the highway's construction zone center median wall near Harn Boulevard and caught fire. The driver escaped without serious injury, and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.
The crash closed both sides of the busy highway between Belleair Road and Drew Street just before the morning commute. Traffic was directed in both directions, and motorists who hadn't left home were advised to take an alternate route.
Officials opened the southbound lanes just before 10 a.m. Motorists heading north are advised to take the Bayside Bridge to the east or Belcher Road or Keene Road to the west.
The driver of the truck, identified as Mike Manuel Leon Rodriguez, 37, of Hialeah Gardens, has been cited for careless driving.