Rockwood, TN- A tractor-trailer loaded with grapes almost made it to the crest of Rockwood Mountain Wednesday afternoon, but had to pull over when the motor overheated. The tractor-trailer eventually caught fire underneath the I -40 westbound Airport Road overpass. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigators, the incident happened around 4:30 Eastern Time and shut down the interstate for over 8 hours into the night. Traffic eventually was able to take the 340 off-ramp and crossover Airport Road and continue onto Interstate 40 westbound.

TDOT Spokesman Mark Nagi told us morning that the fire caused some damage to the bridge and TDOT has closed the bridge for now until it is inspected thoroughly. The driver of the semi was not injured and told sources at the scene he was attempting to un-hook the truck from the trailer but couldn’t due to the excessive heat he was encountering. The truck and trailer were affected by the flames and were reported as a total loss.