I-20 Re-Opened One Day After Bridge Collapsed in Aiken County

It was a mess on Saturday. A gasoline tanker truck crashed under the Old Vaucluse Road overpass and burst into flames, causing the bridge to collapse on I-20 in Aiken County near mile marker 13.

The driver of the rig, who was hauling 8,500 gallons of gasoline, was headed east on the interstate when the crash was reported around 4 a.m. Surprisingly, he managed to walk away with minor injuries.

North Augusta Public Safety and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) quickly alerted the public that I-20 between mile markers 11 and 18 would be shut down West and East bound for an extended period of time.

Detours were set up immediately.

Crews worked overnight Saturday into Sunday to demolish and remove the bridge that was damaged in the crash.

Once that was finished, SCDOT crews still had milling work to do, repaving, and then replace the guardrails.

The work was done in less than 36 hours.

It was a surprise when SCDOT announced late Sunday afternoon that I-20 was reopening in both directions.

"I want to thank our crews, our contractors and our partners in law enforcement for working around the clock on this major emergency response effort. Thanks to their immediate mobilization and diligent work, we opened the interstate in a record amount of time," said Justin Powell, South Carolina Secretary of Transportation.

Replacing the overpass will be the next order of business. SCDOT said it's a process that will take a significant amount of time and resources.

In the meantime, drivers in the area are being asked to travel with caution as crews continue to work to remove traffic control device along the detour routes.