02:56 PM CST on Friday, March 11, 2005

GEORGE KANUCK / KVUE News

A portion of northbound Interstate 35 had to be resurfaced Friday after the existing asphalt was melted by the fire from a wrecked 18-wheeler.

KVUE News

Part of the truck wreckage is loaded onto a vehicle.

The wreck, cleanup and emergency road work forced the closure of northbound lanes of the busy highway for more than 13 hours.

The accident fouled northbound fouled morning rush hour traffic as drivers were routed onto the frontage road. That process continued throughout most of the day as the repair work continued.

No one was seriously injured in the wreck that occurred around 1 a.m.

The truck was heading north when it hit the concrete media and dragged against it for several hundred feet. The fuel tank on the truck caught fire and the truck disintegrated along the highway, police said.

It hit with such force that it moved one of the concrete barriers into the lane of traffic.

The ensuing fire burned with such intensity that it melted the pavement and prompted the repairs.

Wreckage was strewn across the highway and emergency crews were working to move it. Several tow trucks had to be called.

The name of the driver or the cause of the accident hasn't yet been made public.